ABSTRACT
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has the most effective and well-developed mechanisms for human rights protection in the international system. The great strength of the ILO, and the characteristic which distinguishes it from all other international organizations, is that it is tripartite. The Declaration of Fundamental Rights and Principles at Work codifies the ILO's long understanding of the fundamental human rights contained in its Constitution and standards, as comprising: freedom of association and the right to bargain collectively; freedom from child labour; and freedom from discrimination. It is generally accepted that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, together with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights contain the fundamental expression of human rights for the United Nations system. There are several cases in which international trade union organizations have submitted information to the ILO on behalf of a non-governmental organization, when it believed this information was credible.
