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10 years ago this month, over 1130 Bangladeshi workers died and thousands more were injured when the Rana Plaza building collapsed. To this day, it remains one of the most brutal lessons about the importance of occupational safety and health. A decade on, what has been changed in the Bangladesh garment industry and the four million workers who depend on it? And has it affected global supply chains and the clothes we buy? 
 
We all have a right to go to work and come home alive, uninjured, and healthy. As we mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work, we explore the designation of "a safe and healthy working environment" as a fundamental principle and right at work. Watch the ILO World of Work Show to find out what this means for workers around the world.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2023

Geneva

The Rana Plaza collapse: Ten years on

Manal Azzi

International Labour Organization (ILO)

Guests

Senior Specialist on Occupational Safety and Health

Tuomo Poutiainen 

Director, Country Office in Bangladesh

Ruth Wilkinson

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)

Head of Health and Safety (Policy and Operations)

Guebray Berhane

Host

Senior Advocacy and Public Information Officer

What are the lessons learned from the Rana Plaza tragedy?

How can Occupational Safety and Health ensure Social Justice & Sustainable Development?

Safe & Healthy Working Environment = Fundamental Principle & Right at Work. What does that mean?

The ILO World of Work Show brings you a mix of live interviews and videos on the major challenges and opportunities facing the world of work.

2023 is the 25th anniversary of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, a historic commitment by governments, employers' and workers' organizations to uphold basic human values in our social and economic lives. At last year’s ILC the right to a safe and healthy working environment was declared as the fifth fundamental principle and right at work. So, the World of Work Show will explore what difference the Declaration has made to the working lives of women and men around the world and what more still needs to be done. The show will also wrap up the 111th International Labour Conference and discuss its achievements.&nbsp;

Labour Rights are Human Rights 

The World of Work Summit will take place on June 14-15 around the central theme of “Social Justice for All”. Ahead of this high level forum, the ILO World of Work Show will offer a sneak peak of what is expected over the two days and will introduce some of the global figures who will attend. With domestic workers continuing to be one of the most overlooked categories of workers worldwide, we will also explore what more needs to be done to ensure they too have access to decent work and social justice.&nbsp;

How can we achieve Social Justice? 

To mark World Day Against Child Labour, held every June 12, the ILO World of Work Show looks at what else needs to be done to protect the 160 million children worldwide who are in child labour - many in dangerous conditions. We will also explore the critical role of social protection in protecting workers and their families.&nbsp;

What’s the key to ending Child Labour?

Labour protection is at the core of social justice and decent work. But what does that mean exactly and are labour protection systems fit for purpose in a rapidly changing world of work? To explore this, the ILO World of Work Show will explore the role of labour protection at a time of multiple crises. Join us as well to look back at the first week of the 111th International Labour Conference.&nbsp;

Inclusive Labour Protection for All 

An essential part of the ILO’s supervisory system is the Committee on the Application of Standards. It provides the opportunity for representatives of governments, employers and workers to examine how ILO Member States uphold the International Labour Standards that they have ratified. As the ILC discusses the creation of a new international standard on apprenticeships, the World of Work Show will look at how labour standards are created, implemented, and their effect on working lives.&nbsp;

Labour standards, what are they and why do they matter?

Every year, representatives from Governments, Workers' and Employer's Organizations of the ILO Member States come together at the International Labour Conference. Often called the international parliament of labour, they discuss the latest challenges facing the world of work and propose solutions to overcome them. This episode of the ILO World of Work Show will focus on the conference, its aims and the issues on the agenda.&nbsp;

What’s at stake at the International Labour Conference? 

Many regions of the world are already breaking record temperatures. What is the impact of this heat on workers and economies, and what can we do to keep people safe and companies productive? The ILO World of Work Show will also mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia by exploring the current state of discrimination against LGBTIQ+ workers worldwide and what can be done to better include them in the world of work.

When is it too hot to work?

As the historic UN Water Conference opens in New York, we find out why poor water and sanitation is holding back economies and societies. And, as it's now been three years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ILO World of Work Show explores why women were and continue to be disproportionately affected by the crisis.

The high stakes of water and work

This episode of the ILO World of Work show is focused on the World Day of Social Justice and explores the various ways in which the ILO is striving to ensure global momentum for a new social contract, one that puts people at the centre of national and global policymaking. This show highlights some of the pressing global challenges we face and how a Global Coalition for Social Justice could help address the issues that are leaving too many behind.

A Future with Social Justice

This episode of the ILO World of Work show looks at the new World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2023 Report. From employment growth to job quality, what can we expect from the year ahead? We will also explore the latest trends in working time around the world, including the effects on productivity, mental and physical health, and work-life balance.

Working Life, Working Time and the Work-Life Balance

This episode of the ILO World of Work show will focus on the role that social protection can take in supporting fundamental human rights. A role made all the more critical as the world of work enters a period of multiple and interconnected crises. In addition, we will take viewers to the 17th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting, currently taking place in Singapore, and explore the findings of the first ever global survey on experiences of violence and harassment at work.

The right to social protection

This episode of the ILO World of Work show will focus on the social dimension of climate change and how the ILO is keeping it at the forefront of discussions at the COP27 UN Climate Change Conference. Join our guests who will discuss how to achieve a just transition towards a greener economy that works for all women and men around the world.

The social dimension of climate change

This episode of the ILO World of Work show will focus how to put social justice at the centre of global economic and development policies. The new ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, has prioritized social justice in his mandate as a tool to rebuild the social and economic fabric which has been frayed by rising inequality, conflicts, and a lack of trust in the international system. Join our guests who will discuss how to increase social justice in practice, including through universal social protection, social dialogue and collective bargaining.

How to achieve social justice in the world of work

New season of the World of Work Show starts today at 16:00 CEST. This episode of the ILO's monthly live show will discuss latest estimates on modern slavery, the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, to be presented at the UN General Assembly and the implications of the climate emergency for the world of work.

How to fight the rise of modern slavery

This episode focuses on the outcomes of the 110th International Labour Conference and will discuss what has been achieved and what more needs to be done. At a time when international cooperation is becoming increasingly difficult, it is all the more important that governments, workers and employers come together to ensure a human-centred recovery that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient. Send us your questions to our experts through Twitter, using #WorldofWorkShow.

A look back at the 110th International Labour Conference

This episode focuses on the critical importance of safety and health at work, which has been underlined by the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us live as we explore what more needs to be done to realize the right of all workers to be protected against sickness, disease and injury arising out of employment. Send us your questions to our experts through Twitter, using #WorldofWorkShow.

A safe and healthy world of work for everyone

This episode focuses on the social and solidarity economy – an ethical approach to economic development that prioritizes the welfare of people and planet over profits. We will explore its various elements and how it can contribute to decent work and sustainable development. Send us your questions to our experts through Twitter, using #WorldofWorkShow.

The social and solidarity economy explained

This episode focuses on the scourge of child labour and what more needs to be done to protect the 160 million children around the world who work, many in dangerous conditions.  Join us as we look back at the outcomes of the recent 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, and discuss the progress made and urgent measures needed to eliminate child labour.

Send us your questions to our experts through Twitter, using #WorldofWorkShow

How can child labour be eliminated?

This episode of the ILO World of Work Show focuses on the start of the 110th International Labour Conference, bringing together over 4000 Governments’, Workers’ and Employers’ representatives from 187 ILO Member States. With the world of work reeling from the triple crisis of food, fuel, and finance, our guests will discuss what needs to be done to ensure a human-centred recovery that is inclusive, sustainable, and resilient. Send us your questions to our experts through Twitter, using #WorldofWorkShow.

How to tackle the triple crisis of food, fuel, and finance?

The ILO World of Work Show brings you a mix of live interviews and videos on the major challenges and opportunities facing the world of work. This episode focuses on the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, hosted by the Government of South Africa from 15 to 20 May. It comes at a critical time as 160 million children are still in child labour and the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse years of progress. In this context, the conference represents an opportunity to assess progress made and identify the urgent measures needed to accelerate the elimination of child labour.



Raise your hand for kids

The ILO World of Work Show brings you a mix of live interviews and videos on the major challenges and opportunities facing the world of work. This episode focuses on the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which takes place on 28 April, and will discuss concrete steps that workers, employers, and governments can take to prevent occupational accidents and diseases. This episode launches ILO LIVE, our innovative online platform on the world of work.

How to build a positive safety and health culture

World of Work Show

A source of income amidst a crisis, a sense of ownership amongst a community

Education empowered me to fight for women’s rights in Kenya

You're watching ILO Live

We can eliminate gender inequality in Asia's garment sector

Social protection at the crossroads in pursuit of a better future

How domestic workers got organized in Kuwait

The ILO at Work

Green jobs and Decent work in Mongolia

We won’t need to beg for water anymore

Entrepreneur turns problems into profit

ILO set to implement emergency employment scheme in earthquake-damaged neighbourhoods in Aleppo (Syria)

An apprenticeship changed my life

The COVID-19 pandemic confirmed the vital role social protection plays against both systemic shocks and ordinary life-cycle risks. As the world enters a period of multiple and interconnected crises, in which poverty and inequalities are increasing alarmingly, can social protection take on the greater task of supporting fundamental human rights? ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, discuss how this might be done.

How can social protection support human rights and advance social justice?

Volker Türk

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Gilbert F. Houngbo

Director-General

This technical dialogue on labour administration will bring together Governments and social partners´ representatives from different world regions.&nbsp; We will share experiences from countries in which the labour administration is the national authority in charge of occupational safety and health, as well as the key role played by social partners in the governance of occupational safety and health.

Effective governance of occupational safety and health through labour administration

The ILO’s flagship Local Empowerment through Economic Development and Reconciliation (LEED+) project is nearing its closure after two successful phases initiated from 2011 onwards. This session is a part of the larger knowledge forum, which is a culmination of the project’s 12-year journey, highlighting key achievements, success stories, lessons learnt, good-practices and way-forward.

Colombo

Achieving local empowerment through economic development and reconciliation

Local Empowerment through Economic Development and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka 

The ILO Sri Lanka's flagship 'Local Empowerment through Economic Development and Reconciliation' (LEED+) project, is nearing its closure after two successful phases initiated from 2011 onwards. This session is part of the larger knowledge forum; a culmination of of the project's 12-year journey, highlighting key achievements, success stories, lessons learnt, good practices, and way-forward.

LEED+, a journey to inclusive growth: Value Chains as the vehicle

The ILO Sri Lanka’s flagship ’Local Empowerment through Economic Development and Reconciliation’ (LEED+) project is nearing its closure after two successful phases initiated from 2011 onwards. This panel discussion is a part of&nbsp; the larger knowledge forum; a culmination of the project’s 12-year journey, highlighting key achievements, success stories, lessons learnt, good-practices and way-forward.

The A to Z of successful value chains and enterprise promotion

ILO and OHCHR are organizing an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the ILO Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87). The event aims to inspire more decisive action to preserve and expand both human and labour rights. It will celebrate the contributions of the OHCHR and of the ILO and its tripartite constituents to the promotion of Freedom of Association and related civil liberties for the protection of civic space.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedom of Association: The double helix of civic space and labour rights

The opening sitting of the 111th International Labour Conference will elect the Conference President and Vice-Presidents, adopt the operational arrangements for the conduct of the Conference and the constitution of committees. It will also hear the opening addresses of the President of the Conference, the Employers’ group and Workers’ Group Chairpersons as well as the opening statement by the ILO Director-General and the presentation by the Chairperson of the Governing Body of her report.

Opening of the 111th International Labour Conference

Discussion of the Reports of the Director-General and of the Chairperson of the Governing Body.

Plenary debates – Morning sitting

Plenary debates – Afternoon sitting

The multiple crises the world has faced in recent years have highlighted the extent of pre-existing inequalities and the consequences. These crises have led to further increases in different types of inequality, and the most disadvantaged populations have often been the hardest hit.

Addressing inequality and informality requires combined, coordinated and coherent interventions and a policy mix aimed at prioritizing employment creation, protection of workers’ rights, non-discrimination and non-stigmatization, equal opportunities, access to basic needs and essential services (such as water, food, shelter, health services, energy) and fair distribution of the fruits of progress to combat inequality and realize social justice.

The panel will hear from Governments, employers and workers and UN agencies from all regions about global and national responses to these challenges, as well as concrete, coordinated and coherent actions needed to accelerate the advancement of social justice.

&nbsp;

Opening - Addresses by Heads of State - Panel on Addressing inequalities, informality and facilitating inclusion

World of Work Summit: Social Justice for All

Over 244 million children and young people are still out of school, including one third of children in child labour and an estimated seven out of ten children in low- and middle-income countries who cannot read and understand a simple text at age ten.

In developed countries, significant education disparities remain, which are often based on income, race and gender, and they are particularly acute in crisis contexts. All regions of the world need more teachers, especially those countries that have rapidly growing school-aged populations. To this end, countries need well-coordinated systems and policies, supported by a whole-of-government approach, and engage in social dialogue with the social partners.

The panel will hear from Governments, employers and workers and UN agencies from all regions about global and national responses to these challenges, as well as concrete, coordinated and coherent actions needed to accelerate the advancement of social justice.

Addresses by Heads of State - Panel on Fostering equal opportunities and full, freely chosen and productive  employment for all through education, lifelong learning and skills development

The devastating impacts of climate change together with rising levels of debt and the risk of fiscal austerity require a significant shift in the global response, with a greater focus on creating decent jobs and extending social protection to facilitate inclusive transitions and structural transformations. Against this backdrop, the UN Secretary-General launched the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions in September 2021, which aims to increase the level and coordination of the multilateral system’s efforts to support countries in creating 400 million decent jobs, including in the green, digital and care economies, and to extend social protection coverage to the 4 billion people currently excluded.

The panel will hear from Governments, employers and workers and UN agencies from all regions about global and national responses to these challenges, as well as concrete, coordinated and coherent actions needed to accelerate the advancement of social justice.

Addresses by Heads of State - Panel on Jobs and social protection for just transitions

This panel will explore policy solutions and partnerships to enhance the social dimensions of trade, in particular trade, industrial and sectoral policies that promote decent work, enhance productivity and contribute to the transition from the informal to the formal economy. It will examine the potential of new initiatives – including through social dialogue and ILO collaboration with multilateral development banks and other international organizations – to advance socially fair trade, for example through provisions based on international labour standards in trade and investment arrangements, responsible business conduct, investment frameworks and development cooperation.

The panel will hear from Governments, employers and workers and UN agencies from all regions about global and national responses to these challenges, as well as concrete, coordinated and coherent actions needed to accelerate the advancement of social justice.

Addresses by Heads of State - Panel on Trade, Employment and Sustainable development: advancing human and labour rights - Closing

Plenary sitting – Afternoon

Plenary sitting – Morning

Adoption of Committee reports and Closing ceremony.

Closing of the 111th International Labour Conference

This online event will disseminate the conclusions of analytical briefs on Rwanda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda and a cross-country review on youth employment, school-to-work transition and the impact of COVID-19 on youth labour market outcomes in the African region. It will also underpin the ongoing engagements on promoting decent work for youth in the African region, and explore possibilities for shaping follow up actions in line with the ILO’s Youth Employment Action Plan (YEAP) 2020-30.&nbsp;

Live

The Rana Plaza collapse: Ten years on

Key moments

Guests

Host

Related Resources