The ILO Standards with Regard to Developing Countries in the Late 1980s and in Particular Relation to the Circumstances of ASEAN Countries

Abstract

Developing countries constitute more than two-thirds of the members of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The main task of the ILO is to set international labour standards. With regard to developing countries, it is important for compliance with international labour standards to be integrated into free trade systems in order to form the basis for fair competition (Valticos 1982) However, ILO standards do not always correspond to the circumstances of developing countries. One of the reasons for this is attributed to the ILO’s history. It was founded in 1919 as part of the Versailles Treaty by the 43 participating countries, most of which were developed countries. By 1987, the ILO had adopted 162 Conventions and 172 Recommendations. Most developing countries joined the ILO after gaining independence. Thus, developing countries did not participate fully from the beginning in the standard-setting activities of the ILO. Occasionally, the representatives of developing countries insisted that they could not participate in the standard-setting process because of their financial problems, their particular circumstances regarding human resources and labour administration, and the logistics of dealing with ILO matters (ILO 1977).