The International Labour organization (ILo) was founded following the Paris Peace Conference held in the wake of the horrors of the 1st World War. It was formally incorporated as an international organisation by the 1919 treaty of versailles. It was founded because the nations of the world that had fought in that terrible conflict recognised that: "universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice".7

The ILo has been involved with co-operatives since its very foundation, with Albert thomas, an active co-operator, the ILo's first Director General. the ILo Co-operative Services section was established in 1920. the following is an extract from the second meeting of the ILo governing body in 1920:

"the peace treaty foresees that the ILo should not only be concerned with the conditions of work, but also with the conditions of workers. by and large, it is under the organisational form of co-operatives that this concern is best addressed for the largest part of the population. the co-operative section will not limit itself to the question of distribution, but will also research into the question of housing, leisure time of workers and the transportation of the workforce ...."

Near the end of the 2nd World War the 1944 Declaration of Philadelphia expanded the reach of the original ILo constitution, moving the organisation's mandate beyond improving working conditions to include the promotion of equitable economic conditions, growth and trade in the post 2nd World War economy. It recognises the rights of all people to pursue their material well-being and spiritual development "in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity".8

The ILo is a specialised agency of the UN brought into a formal legal relationship with the UN under Article 57 of the UN's Charter.9 the ILo's constitution is agreed by its 185 member states.10 the work of the ILo, its conventions, declarations and recommendations are therefore closely allied to UN resolutions. Under the ILo's constitution member states are required to give due consideration to ILo recommendations and report to national legislative assemblies on their implementation, or otherwise, in national legislation.11 In 2002 the ILo adopted recommendation 193 on the Promotion of Co-operatives. It clearly states the ILo's requirement that co-operatives are to be recognised and respected as autonomous and independent organisations.

ILo recommendation 193 incorporates the Alliance's definition of a co-operative and states that: "for the purposes of this recommendation, the term 'cooperative' means an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise".12 this gives the Alliance's Statement on the Co-operative Identity the characteristic of a text that is recognised internationally. this is a significant change in the status and legal value of the Alliance's Statement on the Co-operative Identity. ILo 193 exhorts governments to: "encourage the development of co-operatives as autonomous and self-managed enterprises, particularly in areas where co-operatives have an important role to play or provide services that are not otherwise provided".

Every ILo member state has an obligation to consider ILo recommendations and to report to its national legislative assembly whether or not it is in compliance with recommendation 193. If not in compliance, it is obliged to report the actions the member state intends to take to ensure compliance. this encourages member states to comply with ILo recommendations. Since ILo recommendation 193 was agreed in 2002, over 100 ILo member nations have used it to review their co-operative legislation. the ILo Committee on Applications of Conventions and recommendations included ILo recommendation 193 into its 2010 General Survey. It thus confirmed the importance of ILo 193 and, through the General Survey, indirectly the importance of the Alliance's Statement on the Co-operative Identity.

The essential role of governments is detailed in ILo recommendation 193. It calls for governments to create an enabling environment in which co-operatives can flourish. ILo 193 represents a major achievement in asserting the principle of autonomy and independence following the adoption by the Alliance of the Statement on the Co-operative Identity. It provides clear guidelines for nations to review co-operative law and policy.

It is also useful to co-operatives when their autonomy and independence is threatened by governments. It provides a framework to make the case for Co-operatives being "treated in accordance with national law and practice and on terms no less favourable than those accorded to other forms of enterprise."

ILo recommendation 193 on the Promotion of Co-operatives is worthy of detailed study as is the excellent Guide to ILo recommendation 193 written by Stirling Smith of the UK's Co-operative College and published by the ILo.13