Member states of the International Labour Organization

The International Labour Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations that sets international standards related to work, has 187 member states. Created in 1919 as a result of the Versailles Treaty, the ILO is the third oldest existing multilateral organization and the only remaining organization with direct links to the League of Nations.

ILO headquarters, Geneva

Member states

At the founding of the ILO in 1919, there were 42 member states. As signatories to the Versailles Treaty, 29 states are considered "founder members". Another 13 states, who were not signatories, were invited to be members and granted status as founder members.[1] Founding members appear with a blue background; states invited to be founding members appear with a khaki background.

Current member states
Flag Member state[2] Date of admission[3] Notes
 Afghanistan 29 September 1934
Albania 22 May 1991 Previously a member from 1920 to 1967, readmitted 1991.[4]
 Algeria 19 October 1962
Angola 4 June 1976
Antigua and Barbuda 16 February 1982
Argentina 28 June 1919
Armenia 26 November 1992 Previously member as part of the Soviet Union
 Australia 28 June 1919
Austria 24 June 1947 Previously a member from 1919 to 1938, readmitted 1947.[5]
 Azerbaijan 19 May 1992 Previously member as part of the Soviet Union
 Bahamas 25 May 1976
Bahrain 18 April 1977
Bangladesh 22 June 1972
Barbados 8 May 1967
Belarus 12 May 1954 Admitted as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.[6] During the Yalta Conference in February 1945, an agreement was reached between the USSR and the USA that each country would be entitled to two extra votes in the United Nations General Assembly; by means of this arrangement the Byelorussian SSR was admitted to the UN and gained membership in the ILO upon the Soviet Union rejoining in 1954.[lower-alpha 1]
 Belgium 28 June 1919
Belize 7 November 1981
Benin 14 December 1960
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 28 June 1919
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 June 1993 Previously a member as part of Yugoslavia
 Botswana 27 February 1978
Brazil 28 June 1919
Brunei Darussalam 17 January 2007
Bulgaria 16 December 1920
Burkina Faso 21 November 1960
Burundi 13 March 1963
Cabo Verde 3 April 1979
Cambodia 24 February 1969
Cameroon 7 June 1960
Canada 28 June 1919
Central African Republic 27 October 1960
Chad 10 November 1960
Chile 28 June 1919
China 28 June 1919 Admitted as the Republic of China. From the Chinese Revolution of 1949 through to 1971, China's membership in the ILO was held by the Republic of China (Taiwan). Following a resolution at the 184th meeting of the ILO Governing Body in 1971, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was recognized as the representative government of China for the purposes of membership. However, not until June 1983 did the PRC agree to participate in ILO activities.[7]
 Colombia 28 June 1919
Comoros 23 October 1978
Congo 10 November 1960
Cook Islands 12 June 2015
Costa Rica 21 February 1944 Previously a member from 1920 to 1927, readmitted 1944.[8]
 Côte d'Ivoire 21 September 1960
Croatia 30 June 1992 Previously a member as part of Yugoslavia
 Cuba 28 June 1919
Cyprus 23 September 1960
Czech Republic 3 February 1993 Previously a member as part of Czechoslovakia
 Democratic Republic of the Congo 20 September 1960
Denmark 28 June 1919
Djibouti 3 April 1978
Dominica 17 June 1982
Dominican Republic 29 September 1924
Ecuador 28 September 1934
Egypt 19 June 1936
El Salvador 21 June 1948 Previously a member from 1919 to 1939, readmitted 1948.[9]
 Equatorial Guinea 31 January 1981
Eritrea 7 June 1993
Estonia 13 January 1992 Member as Estonia 1921–1940 (departure recognized as definitive in 1946);[10] as part of the Soviet Union 1954–1991. Estonia was considered to have been readmitted (rather than admitted) to the ILO in 1992.[11]
 Eswatini 20 May 1975
Ethiopia 28 September 1923
Fiji 19 April 1974
Finland 16 December 1920
France 28 June 1919
Gabon 14 October 1960
Gambia 29 May 1995
Georgia 22 June 1993 Previously a member as part of the Soviet Union
 Germany 12 June 1951 Previously a member from 1919 to 1935, readmitted 1951.[12]
 Ghana 20 May 1957
Greece 28 June 1919
Grenada 9 July 1979
Guatemala 19 October 1945 Previously a member from 1919 to 1938, readmitted in 1945.[13]
 Guinea 21 January 1959
Guinea-Bissau 21 February 1977
Guyana 8 June 1966
Haiti 28 June 1919
Honduras 1 January 1955 Member from 1919 to 1938, readmitted 1955.[14]
 Hungary 18 September 1922
Iceland 19 October 1945
India 28 June 1919
Indonesia 12 May 1950 Indonesia withdrew from the ILO in 1965 for 20 months.[15]
 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 28 June 1919 Admitted as Persia.[1]
 Iraq 3 October 1932
Ireland 10 September 1923
Israel 10 May 1949
Italy 19 October 1945 Previously a member from 1919 to 1940, readmitted 1945.[16]
 Jamaica 26 December 1962
Japan 26 November 1951 Previously a member from 1919 to 1940, readmitted 1941.[17]
 Jordan 26 January 1956
Kazakhstan 31 May 1993 Previously a member as part of the Soviet Union
 Kenya 13 January 1964
Kiribati 3 February 2000
Kuwait 13 June 1961
Kyrgyzstan 31 March 1992 Previously a member as part of the Soviet Union
 Lao People's Democratic Republic 23 January 1964 Admitted as the Kingdom of Laos.[18]
 Latvia 3 December 1991 Member as Latvia 1921–1940 (departure recognized as definitive in 1946);[10] as part of the Soviet Union 1954–1991. Latvia was considered to have been readmitted (rather than admitted) to the ILO in 1991.[11]
 Lebanon 23 December 1948
Lesotho 2 June 1980 Previously a member from 1966 to 1971, readmitted 1980.[19]
 Liberia 28 June 1919
Libya 11 June 1952
Lithuania 4 October 1991 Member as Lithuania 1921–1940 (departure recognized as definitive in 1946);[10] as part of the Soviet Union 1954–1991. Lithuania was considered to have been readmitted (rather than admitted) to the ILO in 1991.[11]
 Luxembourg 16 December 1920
Madagascar 1 November 1960
Malawi 22 March 1965
Malaysia 11 November 1957
Maldives 15 May 2009
Mali 22 September 1960
Malta 4 January 1965
Marshall Islands 3 July 2007
Mauritania 20 June 1961
Mauritius 5 May 1969
Mexico 12 September 1931
Mongolia 24 May 1968
Montenegro 14 July 2006 Previously a member as a part of Yugoslavia
 Morocco 13 June 1956
Mozambique 28 May 1976
Myanmar 18 May 1948
Namibia 3 October 1978
Nepal 30 August 1966
Netherlands 28 June 1919
New Zealand 28 June 1919
Nicaragua 9 April 1957 Previously a member from 1919 to 1938, readmitted 1957.[20]
 Niger 27 February 1961
Nigeria 17 October 1960
North Macedonia 28 May 1993 Previously a member as part of Yugoslavia
 Norway 28 June 1919
Oman 31 January 1994
Pakistan 31 October 1947
Palau 29 May 2012
Panama 28 June 1919
Papua New Guinea 1 May 1976
Paraguay 5 September 1956 Previously a member from 1919 to 1937, readmitted 1956.[21][22]
 Peru 28 June 1919
Philippines 15 June 1948
Poland 28 June 1919 Submitted notification of intention to withdraw on 17 November 1984,[23] extended that intention in November 1986 without withdrawing, and rescinded the intention to withdraw on 17 November 1987.[24]
 Portugal 28 June 1919
Qatar 25 April 1972
Republic of Korea 9 December 1991
Republic of Moldova 8 June 1992
Romania 11 May 1956 Previously a member from 1919 to 1942, readmitted 1956.[25]
 Russian Federation 26 April 1954 Admitted to membership as the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1940, readmitted 1954.[26] Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation was confirmed as the successor state for the purposes of membership.[27]
 Rwanda 18 September 1962
St. Kitts and Nevis 19 May 1996
St. Lucia 9 April 1980
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 31 May 1995
Samoa 7 May 2005
San Marino 18 June 1982
São Tomé and Príncipe 1 June 1982
Saudi Arabia 12 January 1976
Senegal 4 November 1960
Serbia 24 November 2000 Previously a member as part of Yugoslavia (1919-1992), admitted in 2000 as Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[28]
 Seychelles 25 April 1977
Sierra Leone 13 June 1961
Singapore 25 October 1965
Slovakia 22 January 1993 Previously a member as part of Czechoslovakia
 Slovenia 29 May 1992 Previously a member as part of Yugoslavia
 Solomon Islands 28 May 1984
Somalia 18 November 1960
South Africa 26 May 1994 Previously a member from 1919 to 1966, readmitted in 1994.[29]
 South Sudan 29 April 2012
Spain 28 May 1956 Previously a member from 1919 to 1941, readmitted 1956.[30]
 Sri Lanka 28 June 1948
Sudan 12 June 1956
Suriname 24 February 1976
Sweden 28 June 1919
Switzerland 28 June 1919
Syrian Arab Republic 4 December 1947
Tajikistan 26 November 1993 Previously a member as part of the Soviet Union
 Thailand 28 June 1919 Admitted as Siam.[1]
 Timor-Leste 19 August 2003
Togo 7 June 1960
Tonga 24 February 2016
Trinidad and Tobago 24 May 1963
Tunisia 12 June 1956
Turkey 18 July 1932
Turkmenistan 24 September 1993 Previously a member as part of the Soviet Union
 Tuvalu 27 May 2008
Uganda 25 March 1963
Ukraine 12 May 1954 Admitted as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.[6] During the Yalta Conference in February 1945, an agreement was reached between the USSR and the USA that each country would be entitled to two extra votes in the United Nations General Assembly; by means of this arrangement the Ukrainian SSR was admitted to the UN and gained membership in the ILO upon the Soviet Union rejoining in 1954.[lower-alpha 1]
 United Arab Emirates 25 April 1972
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 28 June 1919
United Republic of Tanzania 30 January 1962
United States of America 18 February 1980 Previously a member from 1934 to 1977, readmitted 1980.[31]
 Uruguay 28 June 1919
Uzbekistan 13 July 1992 Previously a member as part of the Soviet Union
 Vanuatu 22 May 2003
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 16 March 1958 Previously a member from 1919 to 1957, readmitted 1958.[32]
 Viet Nam 20 May 1992 Admitted as a member as the Republic of Vietnam from 1950 and 1976. Following the incorporation of the Republic of Vietnam into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the country ceased to be a member. Readmitted in 1980, withdrew in 1985 and readmitted 1992.[33]
 Yemen 20 May 1965
Zambia 2 December 1964
Zimbabwe 6 June 1980

Member withdrawals

According to the ILO's constitution, a member state may only withdraw after giving notice of two years and settling all outstanding financial dues; following withdrawal a former member state is still obliged to comply with the ILO conventions the country has ratified.[34][35] Readmission of a former member state, that has remained a UN member, requires formal communication to the ILO Director-General of acceptance of the obligations of the ILO constitution. A former member state that is not a UN member can only be approved for readmission by a decision of the International Labour Conference.[36] Since 1927, 22 member states have withdrawn from the ILO, all subsequently were readmitted.

Withdrawals by member states
Flag State Date of withdrawal Date of readmission
 Albania 1967[37] 22 May 1991[38]
 Austria 13 March 1938[10] 24 June 1947[39]
 Costa Rica 1927[40] 21 April 1944[41]
 El Salvador 1939[10] 21 June 1948[42]
 Ethiopia[43] 1939 1943
 Germany[44] 1935 12 June 1951
 Guatemala[45] 1938 19 October 1945
 Indonesia[15] 1965 1967
 Italy 1939[40] 19 October 1945[46]
 Honduras[47] 1938 1 January 1955
 Japan November 1940[48] 26 November 1951[49]
 Lesotho 15 July 1971[50] 2 June 1980[3]
 Nicaragua 1938[10] 9 April 1957[51]
 Paraguay 1937[21] 5 September 1956[22]
 Romania 1942[10] 11 May 1956[52]
 Spain 1941[10] 28 May 1956[53]
 Soviet Union February 1940[54] 26 April 1954[55]
 South Africa 11 March 1966[56] 26 May 1994[57]
 United States of America 1 November 1977[58] 18 February 1980[59]
 Venezuela[60] 3 May 1957 15 March 1958
 Yugoslavia[61] 16 June 1949 16 May 1951
Visit of Haile Selaisse of Ethiopia to the ILO, August 1924

Ethiopia

Following the annexation of Ethiopia by Italy, the country was removed from membership of the ILO between 1939 and 1942.[43]

Indonesia

In 1965, the Indonesian government under President Sukarno withdrew from the ILO for a period of 20 months. Subsequently, the government under President Suharto, upon returning to the ILO, indicated that Indonesia had only suspended cooperation for the period rather than withdrawn.[15]

South Africa

In March 1964, the South African foreign minister notified the ILO of the country's withdrawal.[56] From the late 1950s, the country's policy of institutionalized racial discrimination, officially known as Apartheid, had come under frequent condemnation; rather than be formally excluded from the ILO by a vote of the constituents, South Africa chose to withdraw.[62] Following the end of Apartheid and the conclusion of multi-racial elections, South African rejoined the ILO in 1994.[63]

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations in December 1939 following the start of the Winter War.[64] However, this expulsion did not automatically invalidate membership in the ILO; not until the meeting of the ILO Administrative Council in February the following year was the membership rescinded.[65]

Former non-sovereign state members
During the Yalta Conference in February 1945, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and US President Franklin Roosevelt agreed that the USA and the USSR would be entitled to two extra seats in the soon to be established United Nations. While the USSR took advantage of this agreement nominating the Byelorussian SSR and the Ukrainian SSR to the UN (and thus achieving ILO membership for these non-sovereign state entities), the USA never exercised the option.[66]

The ILO constitution indicates that members must be sovereign states (initially, members of the League of Nations or, after 1945, members of the United Nations).[67][lower-alpha 2] This provision was affirmed on 26 August 1930 when the Permanent Court of International Justice ruled that Danzig, whose external relations were under Poland's control, was inadmissible to the ILO.[68] Despite this ruling, three non-sovereign states, prior to achieving sovereign status, were for various periods admitted as members of the ILO.[69]

Non-sovereign state members
Flag State Period of non-sovereign state status Notes
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic 12 May 1954 – 25 December 1991
United Nations Council for Namibia 3 October 1978 – 21 March 1990
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic 12 May 1954 – 25 December 1991

Former members
Former member states
Flag State Date of admission Date membership ceased Notes
 Czechoslovakia 28 June 1919 31 December 1992[70] Following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the country ceased to be a member. Neither the Czech Republic nor Slovakia were considered to be a successor state for the purposes of membership and both were required to be admitted as new members.[70]
 German Democratic Republic 1 January 1974[71] 1 October 1990 Following the reunification of Germany, the GDR ceased to be a member.
 People's Democratic Republic of Yemen 1969[72] 22 May 1990 Following the reunification of Yemen, the PDRY ceased to be a member.
 Republic of Vietnam 1950[10] July 1976[73] Ceased to be a member following incorporation into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
 Soviet Union 18 September 1934[74] 25 December 1991 The Soviet Union was not a member between 1940 and 1954. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country ceased to be a member.
 Yugoslavia 28 June 1919 27 April 1992 Admitted as the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs.[1] Following the dissolution of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the country ceased to be a member.

A blue background indicates an ILO founding member.

UN member states not members of the ILO
Non-member states
Flag State Notes
 Andorra
Bhutan
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Liechtenstein
Micronesia
Monaco
Nauru
Holy See Based on an unofficial agreement reached in 1926, the Vatican nominates a special advisor to the ILO Director-General on social and religious matters.[75]

See also

References

Notes
  1. While retaining the right, the USA never exercised the option of obtaining extra seats in the UN via the agreement.
  2. The ILO constitution does allow membership for non-UN states, but this requires a two-thirds vote of delegates to the International Labour Conference, including two-thirds of government delegates.

Footnotes
  1. "Meeting of the Government Members of the Working Party on Structure" (PDF). Internatrional Labour Organization. Geneva. 22 November 1976. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  2. "Member states". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  3. "Country profiles - NORMLEX - Information System on International Labour Standards". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  4. "International Labour Standards country profile: Albania". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  5. "International Labour Standards country profile: Austria". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  6. Prensilevich & Chernyshev 2018, p. 27.
  7. Osieke 1985, pp. 39-40.
  8. "International Labour Standards country profile: Costa Rica". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  9. "International Labour Standards country profile: El Salvador". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  10. Ghébali, Ado & Valticos 1989, p. 118.
  11. Bühler 2001, p. 179.
  12. "International Labour Standards country profile: Germany". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  13. "International Labour Standards country profile: Guatemala". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  14. "International Labour Standards country profile: Honduras". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  15. Imber 1989, p. 8.
  16. "International Labour Standards country profile: Italy". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  17. "International Labour Standards country profile: Japan". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  18. Bleecker 1970, p. 22.
  19. "International Labour Standards country profile: Lesotho". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  20. "International Labour Standards country profile: Nicaragua". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  21. Ghébali, Ado & Valticos 1989, p. 117.
  22. "International Labour Standards country profile: Paraguay". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  23. Imber 1989, p. 9.
  24. Goddeeris 2010, p. 437.
  25. "International Labour Standards country profile: Romania". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  26. Jacobson 1960, p. 402.
  27. Bronstein 2009, p. 220.
  28. "The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Joins the ILO". International Labour Organization. 28 November 2000. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  29. "International Labour Standards country profile: South Africa". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  30. "International Labour Standards country profile: Spain". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  31. "Brief history and timeline (ILO-USA)". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  32. "International Labour Standards country profile: Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  33. "International Labour Standards country profile: Viet Nam". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  34. Schermers & Blokker 2011, p. 99.
  35. Osieke 1985, pp. 30-31.
  36. Osieke 1985, p. 38.
  37. Beigbeder 1979, p. 231.
  38. "International Labour Standards country profile: Albania". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  39. "International Labour Standards country profile: Austria". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  40. Ghébali, Ado & Valticos 1989, pp. 117-118.
  41. "International Labour Standards country profile: Costa Rica". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  42. "International Labour Standards country profile: El Salvador". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  43. Ghébali, Ago & Valticos 1989, p. 118.
  44. "International Labour Standards country profile: Germany". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  45. "International Labour Standards country profile: Guatemala". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  46. "International Labour Standards country profile: Italy". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  47. "International Labour Standards country profile: Honduras". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  48. "History: ILO Office in Japan (ILO-Tokyo)". International Labour Organization. 23 April 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  49. "International Labour Standards country profile: Japan". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  50. "Definitive Report - Report No 126, 1972". International Labour Organization. 11 November 1971. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  51. "International Labour Standards country profile: Nicaragua". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  52. "International Labour Standards country profile: Romania". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  53. "International Labour Standards country profile: Spain". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  54. Osakwe 1972, pp. 68-69.
  55. "International Labour Standards country profile: Russian Federation". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  56. Alcock 1971, p. 336.
  57. "International Labour Standards country profile: South Africa". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  58. Masters 1996, pp. 21-22.
  59. "International Labour Standards country profile: United States of America". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  60. Ghébali, Ado & Valticos 1989, p. 111.
  61. Ghébali, Ago & Valticos 1989, p. 110.
  62. Alcock 1971, p. 318-337.
  63. "South Africa Ratifies Conventions on Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining". International Labour Organization. 20 February 1996. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  64. Nash 1972, p. 46.
  65. Osakwe 1972, p. 69.
  66. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. "The Formation of the United Nations, 1945". Department Of State, United States Government. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  67. "Membership in the International Labour Organization: Information Guide" (PDF). International Labour Organization. 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  68. Ghébali, Ado & Valticos 1989, p. 107.
  69. Ghébali, Ado & Valticos 1989, p. 110.
  70. Schermers & Blokker 2011, p. 95.
  71. "ILO - GDR JOINS". United States Department of State. 17 December 1973. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  72. Upham 1991, p. 518.
  73. Ghébali, Ado & Valticos 1989, p. 112.
  74. Prince 1942, p. 441.
  75. Maul 2019, p. 53.

Sources
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