The Governing Body of the International Labour Office first adopted the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy at its 204th Session (November 1977) and subsequently amended it at its 279th Session (November 2000) and 295th Session (March 2006). In its 329th Session (March 2017) it adopted the revised Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, which may be cited as the MNE Declaration. The revision took into account developments since the previous update in 2006 within the ILO such as the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, adopted by the International Labour Conference (ILC) in 2008, new international labour standards, the ILC Conclusions concerning the promotion of sustainable enterprises (2007) and the ILC Conclusions concerning decent work in global supply chains (2016); as well as the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework (2011) and the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015) that are particularly relevant to the Declaration; and noting the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (2015) on financing for development, the Paris Agreement (2015) concerning climate change, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (as revised in 2011).

The Governing Body invites governments of States Members of the ILO, the employers’ and workers’ organizations concerned and the multinational enterprises operating in their territories to observe the principles of the MNE Declaration.

The Governing Body has the overall responsibility for the promotion of the MNE Declaration and reviews on a regular basis the overall strategy and underlying activities to promote the instrument together with governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations in all ILO member States. The Multinational Enterprises segment – part of the Governing Body’s Policy Development section – “examines the effect given to the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, considers requests for interpretation of the Declaration (interpretation procedure), and monitors activities of the ILO and other organizations regarding multinational enterprises, it being understood that other aspects of the activities of multinational enterprises may if necessary be examined by other segments.”

The Governing Body is composed of 56 titular members (28 Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66 deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19 Workers). Ten of the titular government seats are permanently held by States of chief industrial importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States). The other Government members are elected by the International Labour Conference every three years. The Employer and Worker members are elected in their individual capacity.

Most recent decisions:

• Decision on taking stock five years after the adoption of the revised MNE Declaration (346th Session. October- November 2022) 
  • Taking stock five years after the adoption of the revised Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (GB.346/POL/5)