The original membership of 45 nations has grown to 175 as of 3 February 2000. In 1944, when the ILO had completed 25 years of work and was on the threshold of its post-war expansion of operations, the International Labour Conference meeting in Philadelphia, USA, adopted the Declaration of Philadelphia, which redefined the aims and purposes of the Organisation. All human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity. International Labour Conference of Conventions and Recommendations which set international standards. Through ratifications by member States, Conventions are intended to create binding obligations to put their provisions into effect.
Recommendations provide guidance on policy, legislation and practice.
Each member State is required to submit all Conventions and Recommendations adopted by the Conference to the competent national authorities for a decision as to the action to be taken on them. Nearly 6,000 international commitments have so far been made in regard to these conventions. The ILO has established a supervisory procedure to ensure their application in law and practice which is the most advanced of such international procedures. It is based on the objective evaluation by independent experts of the manner in which obligations are complied with and on examination of cases by the Organisation s tripartite bodies. There is a special procedure to investigate complaints of infringements of freedom of association.