Monitoring International Labor Standards : Human Capital Investment : Summary of a Workshop

An increasingly globalized world economy creates new economic, cultural, and social opportunities. Globalization also poses the challenge of ensuring that workers throughout the world share in these opportunities. In 1998 the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, a set of core international labor standards embodying basic workers' rights. Carrying out this commitment to workers' rights requires an understanding of labor conditions and country-level compliance with these standards. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) contracted with the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies to advise the U.S. government on the design of an integrated and comprehensive system to monitor country-level compliance with these core international labor standards. The NRC has convened the Committee on Monitoring International Labor Standards (CMILS) to provide expert, science-based advice on monitoring compliance with international labor standards. Report of a workshop held in February 2003 on linkages between labour standards and human capital policy, with particular reference to country-level investment in education and training and the capacity to attain international labour standards. Summarizes ILO interventions by a) Michael Urminsky on the Global Compact, an initiative do develop management training activities related to core international labour standards, and by b) Wolfgang von Richthofen on issues of labour inspection, with a view to social dialogue