Grounded in International Labour Standards: why the ILO matters to ETI’s work

At the core of ETI’s work sits the ETI Base Code: nine clauses articulating minimum standards for the promotion of decent work. Negotiated and agreed by ETI’s founding trade union, NGO and company members, the Base Code reflects the fundamental and other relevant conventions and recommendations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and is firmly grounded in international labour standards. ETI’s work is underpinned by a close and integral relationship with the mandate and instruments of the ILO. 

From its inception, ETI has understood that credibility in advancing human rights in global supply chains depends on alignment with legitimate, internationally negotiated norms. The ILO, established in 1919 on the principle that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace, remains the authoritative global body for labour standards. As the only UN agency with a tripartite structure, bringing together governments, employers and workers across 187 Member States, it provides normative legitimacy and practical guidance for the world of work. 

ILO Conventions carry the force of international law for States that ratify them. At the heart of the international labour standards system are the fundamental instruments, which encompass 10 conventions and 1 protocol and cover essential principles and rights at work. These instruments are grounded in the  1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, amended in 2022. All ILO Member States have an obligation, regardless of ratification, to respect, promote and realise the core principles of freedom of association, collective bargaining, elimination of forced and child labour, non-discrimination, and safe and healthy working environments contained in the ILO’s fundamental conventions. ETI helps turn these international commitments into practical action across global supply chains, providing businesses with clear guidance and support to embed them in day-to-day operations.

From Standards to Practice: aligning HRDD with ILO Instruments

While gaps in standards to ensure decent work in global supply chains exist, one of the main challenges is their effective implementation on the ground. ETI’s role is to help close that gap. ETI plays a critical role in operationalising ILO standards and non-normative measures within complex global supply chains, ensuring internationally and tripartite-negotiated and recognised standards, codes of practice and guidelines are embedded in practice. ILO instruments and guidance have proved instrumental in strengthening ETI’s support to company members on undertaking effective human rights due diligence (HRDD) and in the promotion of decent work in their own operations and supply chains. 

The ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration), first adopted in 1977 and amended in 2022, is the only ILO instrument that directly outlines guidance to companies (as opposed to governments, workers’ and employers’ organisations). The MNE Declaration is based principally on the ILO’s international labour standards and strongly emphasises the integral role of freedom of association, collective bargaining and industrial relations. It is also the only global instrument in this area agreed and adopted through tripartite dialogue. 

At its core, the ETI Base Code, and by extension, the approach and priorities of ETI, shares significant alignment with the MNE Declaration. From the provision of clear guidance to and expectations of companies in the realisation of decent work, the central role of freedom of association, to the need for genuine dialogue that integrates diverse perspectives through tripartite efforts.  ETI provides a convening platform for tripartite dialogue and effective implementation of ILO frameworks at the supply chain level, translating international labour standards into practical, negotiated solutions.  

ETI convened members to strengthen their practical application of the MNE Declaration, with an intent to leverage it as an essential instrument in the world of rights at work. Alongside the MNE Declaration, the ILO has adopted operational tools, including company-union dialogue and the ILO Helpdesk for Business which provides comprehensive and accessible support to businesses aligning their operations with international labour standards in the establishment of good industrial relations. 

Advancing decent work in food, farming and fisheries

Within ETI’s Food, Farming and Fisheries (FFF) sector we have drawn on several important ILO resources in our collective action work. Recent guidelines and conclusions have directly shaped ETI’s strategic approach and provided a robust grounding in internationally agreed frameworks. The work of the ILO in the broader agri-food sector, encompassing agriculture, aquaculture, food and beverage production, as well as the fisheries sector, has been valuable in our engagement with members in our collective drive to improve working conditions and ensure the respect of human rights across relevant supply chains and operations. 

In 2024 we convened our FFF tripartite members to discuss and embed the ILO policy guidelines for the promotion of decent work in the agri-food sector. According to the ILO, 1.3 billion people are engaged globally in the agri-food system, which serves as the world’s largest employer and disproportionately employs the working poor. This makes the sector an incredibly important priority in global efforts to improve livelihoods and opportunities. Despite this, decent work deficits remain notable across the global sector, and particularly in rural contexts. 

Negotiated by ILO tripartite members in May 2023, the agri-food guidelines provide an important framework, grounded in social dialogue and operationalising relevant international labour standards, with a specific focus on their relevance and application in the agri-food sector. This serves as an effective reference point and foundation for ETI’s work with our members across multiple FFF supply chain, ensuring alignment to internationally agreed expectations.

Social dialogue and just transition in food and beverage

At the start of 2025, ETI participated at the ILO’s technical meeting on the promotion of decent work and a just transition, including skills and lifelong learning, in the food and beverage industry. We noted the need for thoughtful, negotiated and deliberate long-term responses underpinned by the promotion and realisation of freedom of association and collective bargaining, which are as essential to supporting green and socially just transitions. 

The technical meeting adopted a set of outlining the central role of social dialogue in addressing challenges facing the sector. In the spirit of this need for dialogue, ETI convened tripartite members, along with several of IUF’s global affiliates, to identify concrete opportunities for company-union collaboration to enhance and deliver on these recommendations in the food and beverage sector. This dialogue is now shaping ETI’s ongoing strategy to strengthen freedom of association across FFF sectors. 

Protecting migrant fishers: from guidelines to implementation

At the end of 2025, the ILO adopted guidelines for fair labour market services for migrant fishers through negotiation and co-development by representatives of governments, fishing vessel owners and fishers’ organisations participating in a tripartite meeting of experts. As one of the most dangerous sectors globally, with more than 100,000 fishers dying annually, and one that faces  severe decent work deficits while relying heavily on migrant fishers, it is crucial that these guidelines are embedded and acted upon by all relevant stakeholders. 

The guidelines outline a clear roadmap to ensure fair recruitment, decent work and protections for all fishers. They set out clear expectations for different stakeholders and are accompanied by a set of tools to support implementation. In early 2026 ETI will convene tripartite members to share the guidelines and discuss collective efforts to ensure their application across relevant supply chains. 

As we enable the collective efforts of our tripartite members in advancing human rights in global supply chains, the ILO acts as a foundational organisation, and its instruments and tools serve as essential reference points, guiding our work and grounding dialogue and action in internationally recognised and tripartite-agreed standards. By grounding our work in ILO standards, we ensure that collective action in supply chains is credible, practical and aligned with globally agreed norms. That is how we turn international commitments into meaningful improvements for workers.