On 18 June 1998 the International Labour Organization adopted the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up in Geneva, thereby taking up the challenges of globalization which have been the focus of considerable debate within the ILO since 1994. Although globalization is a factor of economic growth, and economic growth is a prerequisite for social progress, the fact remains that it is not in itself enough to guarantee that progress. It must be accompanied by a certain number of social ground rules founded on common values to enable all those involved to claim their fair share of the wealth they have helped to generate.

The aim of the Declaration is to reconcile the desire to stimulate national efforts to ensure that social progress goes hand in hand with economic progress and the need to respect the diversity of circumstances, possibilities and preferences of individual countries. A first step in thi