Government of India intervention on

GB.356/POL/1

Possible initiatives that complement the body of international labour standards to ensure decent work in supply chains

Duration: 3 Minute

Thank you, Chair.

India welcomes this opportunity to discuss initiatives for decent work in supply chains. We offer our perspective as a developing economy with a diverse workforce.

I would like to refer the ILO's Gap Analysis in paragraph 4, which confirms that the existing normative corpus addresses most decent work deficits associated with supply chains. It explicitly states that if existing standards were appropriately ratified and implemented, these deficits would be significantly reduced.

With over 190 Conventions and more than 200 Recommendations already in place, the challenge is not the absence of rules, but the absence of capacity to implement and enforce them. As paragraph 6 correctly identifies, strong institutions and good governance are key, yet few initiatives tackle these root causes. New normative measures, as paragraph 11 acknowledges, carry significant budgetary implications and would impose new reporting and legislative burdens, diverting scarce resources from implementation to compliance.

Therefore, India believes the focus must shift decisively toward implementation. We support a "smart mix" that prioritizes impactful, non-normative options. We strongly endorse Option 7, a "One ILO" programme that integrates Options 2, 3, 4, and 9 to provide coherent, country-level support.

On Option 2, as referenced in paragraph 17, we support strengthening the capacity of constituents to promote responsible business conduct. India is advancing this objective through our leadership in the Global Coalition for Social Justice, fostering international cooperation on responsible business practices.

We support Option 4 on strengthening the ILO Help Desk for Business, as it provides crucial, practical guidance for enterprises navigating international labour standards.

On Option 6, I emphasize that India's National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct already provide a comprehensive framework for businesses to integrate social priorities into core operations, mirroring the objectives of compliance and good governance.

We support Option 9. As highlighted in paragraph 36, leveraging large and multinational enterprises to connect MSMEs with domestic and export markets, enhance access to services, and support skills transfer is critical for promoting transition to formality and achieving decent work in lower tiers of supply chains.

On Option 10, I would like to inform that India has implemented digital platforms like the Shram Suvidha portal for unified compliance and Shram Samadhan for centralized dispute resolution, strengthening our national labour justice systems. The solution lies in strengthening such national systems, not creating parallel transnational structures.

India's comprehensive labour reforms, encapsulated in our four Labour Codes, are actively advancing decent work. These reforms extend statutory floor wage and social security to all workers, including gig and platform workers; mandate equal remuneration; simplify compliance through digital registrations and web-based inspections; and strengthen tripartite dispute resolution mechanisms. These measures directly support the pillars of employment creation, rights at work, social protection, and social dialogue.

In conclusion, we urge the Office to focus on developing concrete, costed proposals for non-normative options. Accordingly, India recommends dropping the four proposed standard-setting options—Options 1, 8, 10, and 12—which risk duplication and do not address the fundamental implementation gaps at the heart of the issue.

Thank you, Chair.