Decent work

Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives. It involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.

What's new

  • Czech student wins international letter writing contest on decent work
    05 November 2009 - More than 2 million children from some 60 countries took part in the 2009 international letter writing competition for young people organized by the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The theme chosen for this year was “Decent Work”, a notion at the heart of the work of the International Labour Organization (ILO). ...
  • ILO publishes pilot study on decent work in Austria
    19 October 2009 - The International Labour Office (ILO) today issued a country study on decent work in Austria, the first in a series that will systematically examine decent work in ILO member States.

Key resources

  • Decent Work FAQ: Making decent work a global goal
    The ILO's Decent Work Agenda calls for a development strategy that acknowledges the central role of work in people's live. The theme of this year's High-Level Segment of the United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) reflects an international consensus that productive employment and decent work are key elements to reducing poverty. Here are some FAQs on decent work by ILO Online. (Article)
  • From Pilot to Decent Work Country Programme - Lessons from the Decent Work Pilot Programme - [pdf 1725 KB]
    This publication is a contribution to office-wide institutional learning on ILO county programmes. The Decent Work Pilot Programme was initiated by the Director-General to pioneer ways to effectively promote and apply decent work in ILO member countries. The practical experience of working with constituents, field and headquarters units in eight member countries has been rich in lessons. ... (Publication)
  • Decent Work Pilot Programme: Country Briefs
    Each country programme aims at strengthening national capacity in integrating decent work as a goal into policy agendas, demonstrating the utility of an integrated approach to decent work in different socio-economic contexts and developing methods for designing effective country programmes and policies that promote decent work. This report contains briefs on the following countries: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Denmark, Ghana, Morocco, Panama and the Philippines. (Briefing note)
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