In 1994 the Director General of the ILO, Michel Hansenne wanted to reinforce the commitment to fundamental principles and rights at work and decided to campaign for an increase of ratifications. Since the beginning of the campaign in May 1995 there has been a 25 percent increase in the total of ratifications of the eight fundamental conventions but only a 5 percent increase in non-core ratifications. A 'Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work' was adopted at the General Conference of the International Labour Organization in June 1998. In presenting the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work it was hoped that all Member States would ratify the document, recognizing the universality of the fundamental rights and those to be applied at work. This article further examines the Declaration and the core conventions.
International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations