Database offers global labour information

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a one-stop information hub with the aim of “paving the way for a more human-centred approach to trade policy”.

According to the ILO, its new database offers the text of labour provisions in more than 100 regional trade agreements in around 140 economies.

Labour provisions are obligations in trade agreements to protect and advance workers’ rights, and half of trade agreements concluded in the last decade (2011-2020) contain them, compared to only 22% in the previous decade (2001-2010).

The agency says that the launch of the database follows increasing requests from governments, workers’ and employers’ organisations for a central source for information, research, and comparative legal analysis. It promises that users will be able to navigate and analyse labour provisions across trade partners and over time, visualise data and trends, search for specific terms and download relevant information.

https://www.ilo.org/LPhub