Starting from the assumption that international labour standards are more needed than ever before, the article outlines the achievements as well as the weaknesses of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and discusses reforms within this international body in order to increase its efficiency. But even if the ILO might reach its optimum it is only one element in a combined strategy. The ILO's efforts are to be supplemented by private actors. In this context, the codes of conduct of Multi-National Enterprises (MNEs) and in particular the International Framework Agreements (IFA) concluded between Global Union Federations (GUF) and MNE play a crucial role. The article attempts to assess the impact of these instruments and concludes by emphasizing the synergic effects of this public-private-policy mix.
International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations