GENEVA (ILO News) – The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, whose work constitutes the cornerstone of the ILO's supervisory system on international labour standards, has just published its annual report.

International labour standards, which are made up of Conventions, Protocols to Conventions and Recommendations, are universal instruments adopted by the international community and reflecting common values and principles on work-related issues. While ILO Member States can choose whether or not to ratify an ILO Convention or Protocol, the ILO considers it important to keep track of developments in all countries, whether or not they have ratified them.

Once a country has ratified an ILO Convention or Protocol, it is obliged to report regularly on measures it has taken to implement it. The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) is an independent body composed of 20 high-level legal experts at the national and international levels, charged with examining the application of ILO Conventions, Protocols and Recommendations by ILO Member States.

The members of the Committee are appointed in their personal capacity from among impartial persons of competence and independent standing drawn from all regions of the world in order to enable the Committee to have at its disposal first-hand experience of different legal, economic and social systems.

The Committee of Experts is also publishing this year a General Survey entitled Securing decent work for nursing personnel and domestic workers, key actors in the care economy, which will be released during the final week of February.