Answers:
International Labour Organisation (ILO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations which deals with labour issues. The headquarters is situated in Geneva, Switzerland. The secretariat comprises of the people employed by the organisation throughout the world. The secretariat is known as the International Labour Office. The ILO manages work through three main bodies. They are:
· International Labour Conference – The members of the ILO meet at the International Labour Conference every year in June, in Geneva. Two government delegates along with an employer delegate and a worker delegate represents their respective member state. The technical advisors also accompany the delegates. The Cabinet Ministers are usually responsible for labour affairs, head the delegations and present the viewpoint of their government. The Conference creates and implements standards for international labour. Social and labour issues are discussed in the Conference. It also assigns the budget of the organisation and elects the Governing Body.
· Governing Body – The executive council of the ILO is known as the Governing Body. It meets thrice a year in Geneva and takes decisions on the ILO policies. It forms programmes and budgets which are submitted to the Conference for adoption. The Governing Body has 28 government members, 14 employer members and 14 worker members. Ten government seats are permanently held by states of chief industrial importance. Taking into consideration the geographical distribution, representatives of other member countries are elected at the Conference once in every three years. The representatives are elected by the employers and workers.
· International Labour Office – The permanent secretariat of the International Labour Organisation is the International Labour Office. It is the central point for all activities that are administered by the governing body. The Office is a center for administration, research and documentation. It employs more than 1,700 officials from 110 nationalities. The Office also organises certain programmes to extend technical help to all member nations. Under this programme of technical cooperation, around 600 experts undertake missions in all regions of the world.