RINGING
IN A NEW ERA
OF DEVELOPMENT
COOPERATION
The change in terminology over
the years from aid to technical
assistance to development
cooperation stems from the
realization that development is a
complex universal and long-term
process which can succeed only
if grounded on comprehensive,
mutual and accountable
partnerships. In addition to purely
technical aspects, development
cooperation encompasses,
inter alia, elements of rights,
dialogue, good governance, social
justice, equality and capacity
development. The Office therefore
proposes to adopt “development
cooperation” to replace the term
“technical cooperation.”
ILO Governing Body,
322/POL/6, para. 10, 1 October 2014
© ILO/M. Crozet
With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, decent work has become
a universal objective underlying many other
Sustainable Development Goals. Recently, we have
seen – also in the wake of the global financial and
economic crisis – an increased sense of urgency
among policy makers to deliver quality jobs along
with social protection and respect for rights at work
in order to achieve sustainable, inclusive economic
growth, and eliminate poverty. Issues such as jobs for
young women and men, the protection of migrant
workers, the creation of sustainable businesses,
informal economies, diversity and inclusion, and
health and safety in the workplace – can now be
seen as primary concerns for development actors
anywhere.
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At the same time, the global context for
development cooperation is changing profoundly.
Along with the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action
Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development, new ways of resourcing development
cooperation and partnerships are emerging.
With this in mind, the ILO’s Development
Cooperation Strategy (2015-17) – in which
we have increased our focus, re-emphasized
our effectiveness, updated our approaches to
capacity development, partnerships and resource
mobilization – has been developed in full
consultation with the ILO’s Governing Body members
– representatives of governments, workers and
employers.
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© Global Goals Campaign/N. Priem
Decent work: A universal
aspiration and global
commitment
Growth and jobs are two sides of the same coin – certainly
not just any type of job or just any type of growth, but
jobs that are decent and growth that is inclusive. Decent
work also has a major role to play in the transition to a
more environmentally sustainable growth pattern for an
economy. The combination of decent work and inclusive
and sustainable growth has enormous transformational
potential.
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With its Decent Work Agenda reflected almost in its entirety
across the 2030 Agenda, the ILO is looking forward to
putting its decades of knowledge and experience at
the service of its constituents – workers, employers and
governments – to support the attainments of the new goals.
We have the opportunity to effectively promote decent
work and inclusive growth by engaging on the issue
with workers’ and employers’ organizations, ministries of
labour, finance, planning, environment, social development,
national central banks, and with international development
partners. This is where the Decent Work Agenda takes
engagement to new partnership levels, including multistakeholder partnerships in the spirit of SDG 17 on
partnerships for the goals.
The ILO is determined to meet the responsibilities of the
2030 Agenda. We are working intensively to ready
ourselves as a strong UN player at the country, regional
and global levels to provide well-integrated policy advice
and effective development cooperation programmes in
support of the Agenda.
Did you know?
Today, the ILO has about 620 development
cooperation projects in more than 100 countries –
with 120 partners. Development cooperation can
be funded from the ILO’s regular budget, as well
through voluntary contributions from development
partners. Voluntary contributions complement the
ILO’s own resources and represent about 42 per
cent of the overall funds available.
Percentage share of the ILO’s extra-budgetary DC
contributions by source of funds, 2014-2015*
11.9%
10.4%
5.4%
0.3%
5.5%
6%
60.5%
Multi-bilateral development partners
Domestic development funding
Public-private partnerships
Social partners
International financial institutions (Banks)
UN organizations and agencies
Other inter-governmental organizations
* As at 31 October 2015
Percentage share of the ILO’s voluntary non-core
expenditure by region, 2014-2015**
INTERREGIONAL
0.7%
GLOBAL
AFRICA
21.3%
27.4%
ARAB STATES
3.1%
EUROPE
3.7%
AMERICAS
9.4%
ASIA
34.1%
** As at 31 October 2015
EMPLOYMENT INTENSIVE INVESTMENTS
FOR JOBS AND DEVELOPMENT
Employment intensive investments link infrastructure
development with employment creation and sustainable
local development.
ƒƒ Timor-Leste: Since March 2012, the ILO’s R4D
programme has created 330,000 work days of direct
short-term jobs. This translates into a cash transfer into
the local economy of about USD 2 million.
ƒƒ Nepal: Since March 2014, the ILO has supported
local infrastructure development in 33 districts –
home to more than half of the population of Nepal.
Following the earthquake in April 2015, the coverage
has been extended to another three districts.
ƒƒ Somalia: The UN Joint Programme on local
governance and decentralized service delivery,
where the ILO played a key role, led to the creation
of 136,500 work days and benefited the most
vulnerable. A project focusing on Somali refugee
returnees and a youth for change initiative has
provided almost 43,000 work days.
WORKERS AND BUSINESSES BENEFIT
FROM BETTER SAFETY AND HEALTH AT
WORK
ILO has contributed to the development of modern
occupational safety and health (OSH) systems in all
regions, including Europe and Central Asia. At the policy
level, ILO legal and technical advice has supported the
improvement of national OSH programmes and laws in
Albania, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic
of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and
Ukraine.
© ILO
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© ILO/M. Crozet
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© ILO
Social justice and
development anchored
in labour standards
As the world’s only labour standard setting organization,
and the only UN agency with a tripartite membership that
spans workers, employers and governments, the ILO is
uniquely positioned to support the international community
faced with present-day challenges.
The ILO already has a significant bank of acutely relevant
knowledge, theory and world of work experience to share.
Over the years, the ILO has registered the ratification
and supervised the implementation of a large body of
international labour standards, including those defined as
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. These should
serve as the basis for guiding international action towards
the attainment of the SDGs, in areas such as child and
forced labour, social protection floors, youth employment,
gender, and labour migration. Social dialogue is a huge
asset in policy making, partnership building and designing
effective monitoring and follow-up systems.
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FIGHTING CHILD LABOUR
Over the past 15 years, nearly one million children have
been withdrawn or prevented from entering child labour
by virtue of ILO projects in almost 110 countries around the
world.
The total number of girls and boys in child labour dropped
30% from 246 million in 2000 to 168 million in 2012.
The ILO has launched Alliance 8.7 against child and forced
labour under the umbrella of Agenda 2030. It is a platform
for all those actors already involved in the struggle against
child labour and forced labour, and for those who would
like to join it.
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© ILO/M. Crozet
Its standard-setting function anchors development
cooperation even more firmly in international labour
standards, at the same time making sure that an integrated
approach to all dimensions of decent work is maintained.
By leveraging this knowledge, and working in close
partnership with other players, there is an opportunity to
ensure that labour standards are not only agreed and
upheld, but also universally applied in ways that have the
required impact on the individuals we aim to help – thereby
contributing to the achievement of global development
goals and targets.
And the ILO is poised and ready to make a difference.
While it’s clear that the ILO is the authority on labour
standards and decent work, the power to make a true
difference lies in the strength of our partnerships.
PROMOTING WORKERS’ RIGHTS
In some countries, workers are denied the right of
association, workers’ and employers’ organizations are
illegally suspended or interfered with and, in some extreme
cases, trade unionists and representatives of employers
are arrested or killed. ILO standards, in conjunction with
the work of the Committee on Freedom of Association and
other supervisory mechanisms, help find solutions to these
difficulties and ensure that this fundamental human right is
respected.
© ILO/M. Crozet
EXTENDING SOCIAL PROTECTION
FLOORS FOR ALL
For example, by removing barriers to collective bargaining
in the public sector, in Saint Lucia a three-year agreement
on public wages was reached, and in Colombia the
development of a specific decree and local-level
bargaining led to 89 agreements in 2013.
Over the past ten years, the ILO has supported the
development of:
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Social protection floors in 136 countries
National social protection strategies
in 34 countries
Health protection in 30 countries
Child benefits in 21 countries
Maternity benefits in 20 countries
© CIAT/N. Palmer
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© ILO/Truong Van Vi
How our building blocks support
development cooperation
The ILO’s Development Cooperation Strategy has four building blocks as a foundation
to secure better decent work outcomes at all levels, through improved services to
constituents, as follows.
Focus on priorities: By transitioning towards greater focus and fewer outcomes, the
ILO will become more agile and be able to concentrate its attention on those areas
that will have the most impact for the largest number of people or deeper results
and long-term impact. Flagship programmes will enable us to work more efficiently
and scale up the impact of our development cooperation efforts. ILO development
cooperation operates in least developed countries, in countries facing fragility, and
labour crises, and collaborates in UN responses to natural disasters.
Effectiveness for impact: The ILO’s development cooperation is managed for results
and cost and value conscientiousness. This is possible by relying on national systems
and expertise in our development cooperation operations and by pursuing value
for money principles. Improved accessibility to data on ILO’s development partners,
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on ILO spending (where, when, and how), is part of our
transparency efforts. Our investments in capacity-building of
staff in the field and at HQ increase our effectiveness.
Capacity development for policy change: Capacity
development is critical for sustaining development
cooperation operations, as it places constituents in a
position to influence national policies. Therefore, dedicated
capacity-building programmes and a holistic approach
that simultaneously addresses technical, organizational and
institutional competencies will enable constituents and other
players in the world of work to translate the sustainable
development goals into achievable national actions. The
ILO’s International Training Centre offers longstanding knowhow, innovative learning approaches and paths. Bottom-up
and needs-based approaches are vital to sustain impact.
Strengthening national statistical capacities is paramount to
keeping track of achievements. The ILO is more than ready
to engage in this effort.
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Shared resources and partnerships: By sharing
funding, expertise, knowledge and other resources with
development partners, much more becomes possible. In
2014, the ILO received USD 269 million in voluntary funding
from development partners, of which USD 32 million were
fully un-earmarked core resources. In past years, voluntary
funding has accounted on average for 43 per cent of
overall ILO resources.
The ILO partners with multi-bilateral donors, the UN, the
European Commission and other intergovernmental
organizations, the private sector, non-state actors and
civil society, as well as with social partners at the global,
national and local level. Domestic development funding is
growing with more Member States committing their own
resources to partner with the ILO. Furthermore, the ILO gives
full support for South-South and Triangular Cooperation.
ILO/M. Crozet
These building blocks will be applied in all of our
development cooperation work.
Our flagship programmes
Better Work
see: www.betterwork.org
The International Programme
on the Elimination of Child and
Forced Labour
see: www.ilo.org/ipec
The Occupational Safety
and Health Global Action for
Prevention
see: www.ilo.org/osh
Jobs for Peace and Resilience
see: www.ilo.org/crisis
The Social Protection Floor
see: www.social-protection.org
RESPONDING TO DISASTER
The ILO contributes to building the resilience of nations and
people caught in fragile and disaster situations. The ILO
and the g7+ group have joined forces in areas such as job
creation, skills development, social protection, South-South
and triangular cooperation, migration, and labour market
monitoring.
Almost six million people were affected by Typhoon Haiyan,
which ripped through the Philippines in November 2013.
Of these, 2.6 million people were already living at or near
the poverty line. Much of the livelihood infrastructure was
destroyed by the disaster. ILO teams were on the ground from
day one, supporting emergency employment and helping
stricken communities rebuild themselves better than before.
The loss of 1,136 lives when Rana Plaza collapsed on 24
April 2013 sent shockwaves worldwide. Coming just months
after the fatal fire at Tazreen Fashions in which 112 died,
it was clear that the Bangladesh Ready Made Garment
(RMG) sector had reached a crucial juncture. Following the
collapse, the immediate priority was to inspect all 3,508
export-oriented RMG factories in Bangladesh for structural,
fire and electrical safety. By the end of March 2015, 2,500
factories had been inspected.
Growth of trade unions in the Bangladeshi RMG Sector
End of 2012: 132
March 2015: 437
© Better Work Jordan
ENSURING DECENT WORK IN FACTORIES
Better Work – an ILO/IFC programme set up in 2009 – has
improved conditions in factories employing more than 3
million workers by engaging with more than 60 global
garment brands and 1,200 factories.
Some Results
ƒƒ Jordan: Migrant workers are now represented in an
industry-wide collective agreement; factories have seen
a 50% improvement in compliance with occupational
safety and health requirements and 100% improvement
in paying correct minimum wages and benefits.
ƒƒ Cambodia: Programme impacts are multiplied, as many
of the 500,000 workers send their earnings home to
help their families, who in turn use these funds to pay for
education for younger siblings and medical bills.
ƒƒ Lesotho: Better Work has helped ensure that 100%
of the factories involved have eliminated HIV/AIDS
discrimination.
ƒƒ Viet Nam: 65% of Better Work factories have seen a rise
in total sales, 62% have increased production capacity,
and 60% have expanded employment.
© ILO/M. Crozet
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© ILO/M. Crozet
Partnering
with the ILO
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There is a clear need for global multistakeholder collaboration to drive the
implementation of SDG 8 and other decent
work outcomes of the 2030 Agenda. A
strong partnership between the ILO and your
organization could work as a global platform
to galvanize political support, funding, and a
technical means of implementation.
For more information on how to partner with
the ILO, get in touch with your nearest ILO
country office or the ILO Partnerships and
Field Support Department. Contact us today
and let’s start discussing how we can work
together for mutual benefit, greater global
impact and to ensure that decent work for all
is no longer a concept, but a reality.
Partnerships and Field Support Department
(PARDEV)
International Labour Organization
 4, Route des Morillons
CH-1211 Geneva-22 – Switzerland
 Tel: +41 22 799 7309
 Fax: +41 22 799 6668
 E-mail: [email protected]
www.ilo.org/pardev
PROMOTING DECENT WORK
FOR YOUTH
On 18 November 2015, the UN Chief Executives Board
for Coordination (CEB) endorsed a new global initiative
on Decent Jobs for Youth, which aims to scale up action
in support of youth employment – one of the main global
challenges and priorities of our times. The Initiative can be
seen as a template for assisting Member States implement
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and an
inspiration for collaboration and partnership among all key
actors, including the social partners, youth organizations
and the public and private sector.
In the regions: www.ilo.org/global/regions
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International Training Centre of the ILO
 Viale Maestri del Lavoro, 10
10127 Turin – Italy
 Tel: + 39 011 693 6111
 Fax + 39 011 6638 842
 E-mail: [email protected]
www.itcilo.org
© ILO
THE ILO,
ITS DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION STRATEGY - AND YOU