Image: Closing ceremony of the 114th International Labor Conference in Geneva, June 2026. Photo: ILO/OIT
In June 2026, the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference closed with the adoption of the first Convention on decent work in the platform economy. This constitutes one of the most consequential developments in international labour law since the emergence of the International Labour Organization’s Decent Work Agenda.
For the first time, the international community has established a comprehensive and binding legal framework governing labour mediated through digital platforms, extending internationally recognised labour protections to hundreds of millions of workers participating in the rapidly expanding platform economy – including those organised in cooperatives. The vote was 406 to 8, with 36 abstentions.
“The significance of this achievement extends far beyond the regulation of a single sector,” says ICA Director or Legislation, Santosh Kumar. “ At its core, the Convention affirms a foundational principle of social justice: technological innovation cannot serve as a justification for the erosion of fundamental labour rights. In an era in which digital platforms have increasingly reshaped the organisation of work, the Convention reasserts the primacy of human dignity, fairness, and accountability in the governance of labour markets.”
The Convention establishes a comprehensive framework that addresses several of the most pressing challenges arising within the platform economy, by strengthening labour protections, introducing procedural safeguards against arbitrary suspension and deactivation, establishing international norms governing algorithmic management, and reaffirming workers’ rights to organise, engage in collective representation, and participate in social dialogue.
“For more than a century, cooperatives have advanced an alternative vision of economic organisation grounded in democratic governance, member participation, equitable distribution of economic value, and respect for human dignity,” adds Kumar.
“Platform cooperatives offer a fundamentally different institutional model. By aligning ownership and governance with the interests of workers, users, or multiple stakeholder groups, platform cooperatives are structurally positioned to implement many of the principles embodied in the Convention.
“Rather than treating worker protection and technological innovation as competing objectives, platform cooperatives demonstrate that democratic governance and economic efficiency can be mutually reinforcing. In this respect, the Convention creates an unprecedented opportunity for cooperative enterprises to position themselves at the forefront of a more equitable digital future.”
In related news, the Group of Friends on the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) was launched on 11 June 2026 at the ILO Headquarters in Geneva, marking an important milestone in advancing SSE within the multilateral system. Convened by the Governments of Brazil, Colombia, and Spain, the initiative establishes a voluntary platform for intergovernmental cooperation to promote the contribution of the social and solidarity economy to decent work, sustainable development, and social justice. By fostering dialogue among governments, social partners, SSE actors, and United Nations entities, the Group is expected to strengthen international collaboration and support the implementation of emerging global SSE commitments.
