Work comes first - even before the prefix 'decent' can have its rightful place. In fact, a number of voices in the plenary suggested that the first worry should be about creating jobs, and worry about their quality only afternwords. Delegates were unanimous in their conviction that the ILO needs to make a major shift in the field of employment. And the G-15 has proposed that the ILO should develop a comprehensive employment strategy. In fact, except for a handful of Conventions, most labour standards are not well known, the ILO admits.
Ratification is also a growing problem.
Of the 23 Conventions and two protocols adopted in the 15 years from 1983 to 1998, only three have received at least 20 ratifications. Even when ratified, many Conventions are only weakly implemented. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen spoke of globalisation as 'a terrorizing prospect for precariously placed individuals and communities'. Though employment is supposed to be at the core of the ILO's mandate, there is no consensus on the policies most likely to create jobs. For some the issue is one of growth.