The International Labour Orgnanization (ILO) will host a
technical meeting to discuss vital issues concerning the protection of whistleblowers in the public service.
The ILO is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice through setting international labour standards.
The meeting will identify gaps, difficulties, and opportunities in the application of the current whistleblower protection frameworks with the aim of adopting recommendations for future action by the ILO and its Members.
The meeting is a step in the right direction towards the development of an ILO standard on whistleblowing protection which could be crucial in improving workers rights to speak up in countries which do not have dedicated legislation protection for whistleblowers.
Employers have a duty of care to protect whistleblowers and ensure staff can report wrongdoing without retaliation. Effective institutional policies and culture should promote disclosure of public interest information both within the organisation as well as to accountable bodies – to uphold freedom of expression rights and the publics right to know - but we know this is far from reality.
Whilst there has been a number of developments over the past two years to improve standards on employers – with new guidelines published by the International Organization for Standardisation, International Chamber of Commerce, the OECD and the UN Principles for Responsible Investment – a ILO standard in line with best practice, would be a welcome lever for trade unions to push for stronger rights of workers to speak up.
Read more: New standards on employers: a new era for corporate whistleblowing?
WIN has been nominated as an official observer to the meeting which will take place in Switzerland from 26-30 September 2022.
For further information on WINs participation in the meeting, contact info@whistleblowingnetwork.org.