Committee Description

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is one of the oldest organs of the United Nations. An important component of the UN’s commitment to human rights and equality, the ILO specifically focuses on the protection of rights and dignity in the workplace. The ILO’s mandate is to engage in a progressive and inclusive dialogue to foster social justice and economic fairness in the domain of workers’ rights. SSUNS 2024’s iteration of the ILO focuses on the critical issue of informal labour, which refers to labour where the produced goods and services are not themselves illegal but are produced in unregulated and therefore often unsafe and exploitative environments. 

The first topic of discussion for this committee will relate to “inconsistent” work, which takes various forms including gig work, zero-hour contract work, and work in small and micro enterprises, especially when such labour is seasonal. These forms of employment often involve poorly-regulated payment mechanisms with inconsistent hours, poor pay, and very few workplace benefits. Furthermore, inconsistent workers are often not covered by governmental protection because of their informal status.

The second topic of discussion relates to the effects of informal labour on women. Women are often burdened with disproportionate care or house labour, which frequently intersects with informal labour. This can include unpaid labour in small and micro service enterprises, which is extracted through social expectations and is not regulated by governments. Overall, much work remains to be done to ensure appropriate protection of womens’ rights in the informal economy. 

The final topic will cover the impacts of technology on informal labour. This will include the impacts of AI as well as the unequal dispersal of productive capital, which promotes informal, less productive, and less safe work in developing countries. 

The dais looks forward to seeing the delegates in the ILO at SSUNS 2024

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Rose Cioffi at gaecosoc@ssuns.org

Vasily Shugaev

Chair

Anouk Felix

Vice-Chair

Francesca Abou Jamra

Vice-Chair

Aidan Hotte

Vice-Chair