Consensus on core standards, work deferred to the ILO back to
top There is a clear consensus: all WTO member governments are
committed to a narrower set of internationally recognized “core”
standards — freedom of association, no forced labour, no child
labour, and no discrimination at work (including At the 1996
Singapore Ministerial Conference, members defined the WTO’s role
on this issue, identifying the International Labour Organization
(ILO) as the competent body to negotiate labour standards. There
is no work on this subject in the WTO’s Councils and Committees.
However the secretariats of the two organizations work together
on technical issues under the banner of “coherence” in global
economic policy-making. However, beyond that it is not easy for
them to agree, and the question of international enforcement is
a minefield. Why was this brought to the WTO? What is the debate
about? back to top Four broad questions have been raised inside
and outside the WTO. analytical question: if a country has lower
st