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The research programme
The research programme of the International Institute for Labour Studies aims to help the ILO and its constituents respond to the challenges for decent work of current and prospective economic, political and social developments.
Some of these challenges are particularly visible at national and local levels, where new opportunities are emerging but also new patterns of inclusion and exclusion, and where informality and poverty persist. There is a need for development paths that better incorporate issues of employment, representation, security and rights at work, central goals for people but too often underemphasized in the policy agenda.
Other challenges are global: the impact on social and economic progress of new developments in the global economy, the need for new or more effective instruments to promote a fairer globalization, a better understanding of the roles and possible contributions of different actors in global markets. The rapidly changing global economy is outpacing the means for its governance, and reflection and research is required to explore the implications for the ILO's constituents, goals, values and instruments. An institutional environment is required which supports efforts by employers, workers and governments to achieve both high productivity and decent work.
These issues call for more knowledge on trends and policy impacts. They require reflection on the concepts and methods used in the ILO's work, and the development of multidisciplinary approaches that bring together law, economics and other disciplines. And they constitute priority subjects for policy dialogue and tripartite debate, and for education.
The research programme will address the analytical frameworks and knowledge that are needed for a better treatment of employment and decent work goals in national and international development policy, and in the governance of the global economy. It will consider the labour institutions and policies that can provide a positive environment for rights at work, investment and enterprise development, and help strengthen the synergy between economic and social objectives. Work and employment have not been prominent in international development strategy in the recent past. This has been highlighted by the virtual absence of these issues from the Millennium Development Goals, and the difficulty of placing employment strategically in the PRSP process. Shortfalls in employment, in rights at work, in gender equality and in the institutions for representation and social dialogue have not received adequate attention. Even in countries that give high priority to employment issues, there is a sense that the existing knowledge on how to attain decent work goals is inadequate. Similarly, the deficiencies of the social dimension of globalization, noted by the World Commission, in significant degree reflect weaknesses of governance, and in particular the widening dichotomy between economic and social governance. The existing system of global economic governance does not have adequate mechanisms for taking into account important social objectives such as the creation of decent work for all. This in turn imposes constraints on national policy makers, markets and firms, and reduces the space for social dialogue.
The ILO must be able to back up its efforts to place its values and goals more centrally in the international development and global economic agendas with high quality research, a good knowledge base and a clear analytical framework. It is proposed to pursue this goal under two broad headings: decent work in development, and
social goals in the governance of the global economy.
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