CROSS-BORDER SOCIAL DIALOGUE AND AGREEMENTS: An ...

The role of the ILO in promoting the development – Drouin
Social Dimension of Globalization emphasized the need for all relevant
international institutions to “assume their part in promoting the core
international labour standards and the Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work” (WCSDG, 2004, p. 94). Through its
involvement in the United Nations Global Compact initiative for
instance, the ILO could develop innovative ways to disseminate information
on IFAs and promote their negotiation.
That said, the analysis undertaken in this chapter leads to the conclusion
that the contribution of the ILO to the consolidation of IFAs’
positive outcomes so far rests on fragile ground. The ILO has to rely on
its traditional means of actions — regulatory conversation with its
member States and the use of cooperation, technical assistance, persuasion
and shame 30 — to foster the development of IFAs since it does not
hold coercive powers to impose international labour standards and social
dialogue practices on governments or on private actors such as MNCs
and GUFs. These are the well-known traditional limits to the ILO’s
actions. The acknowledgement by member States of the importance of
transnational social dialogue and their strong commitment to promoting
transnational collective bargaining will be needed for the ILO to play a
meaningful role in the development of IFAs.
References
Alston, P. 2004. “ ‘Core labour standards’ and the transformation of the international
labour rights regime”, in European Journal of International Law, Vol. 15, No. 3,
pp. 457-521.
Black, J. 2002. “Regulatory conversations”, in Journal of Law and Society, Vol. 29, No 1,
pp. 163-96.
Breitenfellner, A. 1997. “Global unionism: A potential player”, in International Labour
Review, Vol. 136, No. 4, pp. 531-55.
Daugareilh, I. 2006 “Les accords-cadres internationaux: une réponse européenne à la
mondialisation de l’économie?”, in M. Descolonges; B. Saincy (eds.): Les nouveaux
enjeux de la négociation sociale internationale (Paris, La Découverte).
Descolonges, M. 2006. “Une histoire des accords-cadres internationaux”, in M. Descolonges;
B. Saincy (eds.): Les nouveaux enjeux de la négociation sociale internationale
(Paris, La Découverte), pp. 85-90.
30
The term “regulatory conversation” is borrowed from Julia Black and has been used by Jill Murray
to describe the dynamic of the relationship between the ILO and its member States. See Black (2002), p. 163;
Murray (2003), p. 129. Edward Weisband uses the expression “discursive multilateralism” to describe the same
dynamic (Weisband, 2000, p. 643).
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