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INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION
Chair: Lishore Kumar
Committee Type: Economic and Social Council
Created in 1919 through the Treaty of Versailles after World War I, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency grounded in the belief that “universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice.” When most think about the ILO, their attention is drawn to “labor,” and the assumption is that the committee exists to create global work standards, spur economic growth, or track international employment trends. While none of these are wrong, they are better understood as applications of the ILO’s work. More fundamentally, the purpose of the ILO is to ensure that production does not come at the expense of decency. Labor—the production of goods and services—surrounds us everywhere. Behind every item we touch, from the food we eat to the systems that bring it to market, lies a network of human labor. Given the all-encompassing and cyclical nature of global consumption, it is important that the people who create what we use are not ignored.
Over its 100+ years of existence, the ILO has taken on a wide range of initiatives, including establishing child labor monitoring systems in the cocoa trade in West Africa, investigating how AI integration affects job quality, and improving building safety standards for workers so employment does not inherently mean accepting greater risk. To do this, the ILO distinguishes itself as the only tripartite UN agency, where governments, employers, and workers all hold voting power. Central to the ILO’s mission is the idea that production and dignity must advance together.
At this conference, the ILO will address two timely issues: the expansion of fast fashion and the rise of gig economies. Delegates will be challenged to balance economic incentives with ethical responsibility and craft policies built to last.
Topic 1
Fast Fashion
Behind the self-expression and fun that fashion promises lies an economic and labor powerhouse. Baggy jeans, Y2K styles, and scrunchies are just a few of the hundreds of fashion trends that cycle through the industry each year. To capitalize on them and an industry worth over $1 trillion—known as fast fashion—brands such as Zara, H&M, and GAP aim to produce clothing as quickly and cheaply as possible. While this model may appear harmless, it relies on some of the most exploitative and dangerous labor conditions in the world. This reality was made clear by the Rana Plaza disaster on April 24, 2013. Located in Bangladesh, the eight-story Rana Plaza building housed garment factories known for low-cost, exploitative labor. After visible cracks appeared in the building, workers were asked to evacuate until repairs were made. Despite these warnings, managers forced employees to return to work. When the building collapsed, 1,134 people were killed, and more than 2,500 were injured. The Rana Plaza tragedy illustrates the complexity of the fast fashion industry. Employers often implement few safety measures and provide wages so low that workers are unable to build financial safety nets or afford to take time off. This system spans the globe: Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, and India are among the largest producers of fast fashion, while countries that import these goods unchecked perpetuate it.
In this committee, delegates will either represent a country or a global employer with a proven track record of involvement in the fast fashion industry. Working together, they will examine the precise relationships between these actors before developing definitive safeguards that are economically feasible and prioritize ethical standards.
Topic 2
Gig Economy
Uber, Grab, Meituan, Fiverr, and Talabat are some of this decade’s biggest conveniences. With the click of a button, we can temporarily hire someone to deliver our food, drive us to the library, or even assemble a piece of furniture. These short-term, one-off contracts are referred to as “gigs,” and their growing popularity has led to the rise of the gig economy. Today, an estimated 154 million to 435 million people participate in the gig economy, representing 4.4% to 12.5% of the global workforce. It is easy to understand why. Gigs offer workers flexibility and autonomy over job selection, allowing them to proverbially be their own boss. This utopia, however, is quickly fading. The rapid expansion of gig labor has outpaced the development of appropriate worker protections.
Workers who rely on gigs are often excluded from minimum wage guarantees, do not receive health insurance even while working 40+ hours per week, and are subject to algorithmic pay cuts with little to no transparency. As a result, many have labeled the industry the “gig trap,” reflecting its inability to equate the labor performed by gig workers with access to national or international labor protections.
Given how widespread gig work has become, this topic will task delegates—representing countries around the world—with determining what protections gig workers need and how those protections can be realistically implemented.