Because of its broad mandate to promote social justice, the ILO has always been concerned with equal opportunities. This concern has entailed measures such as the adoption of several international labour standards to redress inequalities at work. Some of these instruments, which enshrine the principle of non-discrimination, cover all workers while others address narrower categories of workers.

The following two Conventions are the core conveyers of the fundamental principle of non-discrimination:

• ILO Convention No. 111 on Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) (and Recommendation No. 111), which aims at eliminating discrimination in employment, regardless of the grounds on which it is based or the forms it takes;
• ILO Convention No. 100 on Equal Remuneration (and Recommendation No. 90), which enshrines the principle of equal pay for work of equal value by men and women.

Other Conventions which are important for the elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation include:

• ILO Convention No. 156 on Workers with Family Responsibilities (and Recommendation 165), which addresses equality of opportunity for workers with family responsibilities and, amongst such workers, equal treatment for men and women;
• ILO Convention No. 183 on Maternity Protection (and Recommendation 191), which deals with protection of women workers during and after pregnancy, entitlements they should receive, and protection of their employment.

The above instruments provide guidelines and standards that member states freely decide to follow in order to make sure that equal opportunities are afforded to workers and that no discrimination takes place at work.

The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work is another instrument adopted by the International Labour Conference which is important in the field of non-discrimination. This Declaration aims to reconcile the desire to stimulate national efforts towards social progress with economic progress and the need to respect the diversity of circumstances, possibilities and preferences of individual countries. It identifies four fundamental principles and rights, among them non-discrimination. It seeks to promote their universal recognition and application, and entrusts the ILO with a duty to assist ILO member states in implementing these principles.

An array of other tools developed by the ILO, such as its Decent Work Agenda, gender mainstreaming and gender audits, complement its action for equality through technical cooperation activities.

Using the above documents and other international tools and instruments for the promotion of women's rights and non-discrimination (such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and other regional models) this programme seeks to give sound, appropriate information to people who work on equal opportunities, non-discrimination and the improvement of the status of women at national level. Sessions covering freedom of association, collective bargaining and migration will provide participants with tools for action at national level.