The world of work is by its nature in constant change, and it is faced with challenges brought on by the global financial and economic crisis and its uncertain recovery, as well as by the fast pace of technological and social change. The setting of new global goals for sustainable development and a new environmental approach (renewable energy and green jobs) have given rise to major changes in the industrial and social spheres, both nationally and internationally.

This has compelled inspectors to focus on new areas of work, with new methods of investigation and new challenges. New risks have emerged along with the existence of new work organization and unclear employment relationships. In addition to monitoring and enforcing compliance with the law, they must also possess the flexibility and dynamism necessary to fulfill their preventive, advisory and enforcement roles, as specified in Article 3 of ILO Convention No. 81.

To defend the fundamental principles and rights at work and to protect workers’ legitimate rights and interests, the ILO has developed international labour standards. These standards cover a range of issues, including the employment policy, wages, social security, the employment relationship, the termination of employment, migrant workers, occupational safety and health, working hours, social dialogue mechanisms and importantly labour inspection. These legal instruments provide the international benchmark for setting national policies and building institutions on labour and social issues.

In addition, the ILO has also developed international and regional programmes or projects in assisting the member States in building up and modernizing their national systems of labour inspection. Our collaboration on strengthening labour inspection systems is a good example of such cooperation, and arrives in a right time when the Chinese Government has recently attached great importance to improving the legal framework of labour and social security, and strengthened the enforcement of the labour laws and regulations in the context of the unprecedented social and economic transformations in the country. The further enforcement of the labour laws recently adopted has called for strengthening and modernizing the labour inspection system in China.