ABSTRACT
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has played a significant role in promoting international labour standards. A founding member, India has contributed to the codification of those standards. It has, in turn, benefited from them in developing its own legal and institutional framework for dealing with social and labour issues. In recent years, there have been efforts to link the standards to trade through the World Trade Organization (WTO) by introducing social clauses in international trade with sanctions for non-compliance. In parallel, voluntary initiatives such as the Clean Clothes Campaign and the Council on Economic Priorities Accreditation Agency's Social Accountability 8000 standard have begun to make progress in promoting social labelling, company codes, and consumer boycotts.
