The International Labour Organisation (ILO) reached its centenary in 2019. From its beginnings in Versailles in 1919 to the present, it has developed from an organization primarily dealing with industrial labour in Europe into a global institution occupied with a broad range of aspects affecting the world of work and workers the world over. In this talk Prof. Maul will follow the development of the ILO against the backdrop of key historical conjunctures. He will place special emphasis on how the ILO adapted its core activities and the definition of international labour standards to an ever-changing international environment. 

About the Speaker:

Daniel Roger Maul is a Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at the University of Oslo, Norway. His main research interests include questions of global social policy, the history of internationalism and international organizations and humanitarianism. Among his many publications on the history of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) are Human Rights, Development and Decolonization – The International Labour Organization (ILO) 1940-1970 (Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke 2012) and The International Labour Organization. 100 Years of Global Social Policy (DeGruyter: Berlin/Boston 2019). His most recent research projects explore the history of workplace democracy, the quality of working life movement and working conditions discourses more generally since the 1970s. 

The Law Society of Hong Kong has awarded this seminar 1.5 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points.