Geneva (TDI): Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Bilal Ahmad, took part in a celebratory event commemorating the centenary of the International Labor Organization’s Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS).
The milestone event, held on the sidelines of the 114th International Labor Conference (ILC), brought together senior diplomats, government ministers, and labor rights advocates to reflect on a century of progress in upholding workers’ rights worldwide.
Pakistan’s envoy joined a distinguished panel alongside the Minister of Labor of Uruguay and the President of the 114th ILC, lending a developing-world perspective to discussions on the CAS’s enduring relevance and impact.
In his remarks, the Permanent Representative highlighted how sustained and constructive engagement with the Committee has served as a catalyst for meaningful reform within Pakistan’s own labor governance framework.
Pakistan Permanent Representative @drbahmad72 was pleased to participate in the celebratory event marking 100 years of the ILO Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS). Joining the Minister of Labour of Uruguay and President of 114th ILC in a panel discussion, Pakistan… pic.twitter.com/3gm41pIoOp
— Pakistan Mission Geneva (@PakUN_Geneva) June 8, 2026
Established in 1926, the CAS plays a central role in the ILO’s supervisory machinery, examining how member states implement the international labor conventions they have ratified.
Over its hundred-year history, the Committee has reviewed thousands of cases, often prompting substantive legislative and policy changes across member states.
For Pakistan, engagement with the CAS has corresponded with a series of efforts to modernize labor law, improve occupational safety frameworks, and extend protections to informal and vulnerable workers.
The country has used the Committee’s dialogue-based approach as an opportunity to report on progress while also acknowledging areas requiring continued attention.
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The panel discussion touched on broader themes of tripartism, the role of international standards in the era of climate transition and digital work, and the importance of the CAS remaining adaptive without losing its supervisory rigor.
Uruguay’s Labor Minister echoed Pakistan’s sentiments, pointing to the Committee as an indispensable bridge between global norms and national realities.
Pakistan’s participation in the centenary event signals the country’s continued commitment to the multilateral labor system at a time when global supply chains, migration, and shifting industrial patterns are placing new demands on labor standards bodies.
The ILO’s Committee on the Application of Standards will continue its work under the 114th ILC, reviewing cases submitted by governments, employers, and workers’ organizations.
