Global Conversation on Access to Labour Justice
Image © Alice Lotti
Global Conversation on Access to Labour Justice
A blended global learning platform to explore innovative solutions and comparative practices for fair, accessible and effective labour justice systems.
16 Novembro–4 Dezembro 2026
O curso está disponível em English
Key features
Global Perspective
Explore real-world solutions through international case studies and comparative practices from diverse legal and institutional contexts
Peer-to-peer learning
Learn directly from practitioners across regions and sectors, sharing good practices in an international environment
Certificate of Achievement
Successful participants will be awarded an ITCILO Certificate of Achievement
Apresentação do curso
Fair and effective labour justice systems are the cornerstone of stable, inclusive and resilient labour markets. They are essential to preventing and resolving disputes, protecting rights at work, and building trust between workers, employers and institutions.
Yet as the world of work rapidly evolves, so do the challenges and opportunities related to labour justice. Barriers to access, complex and often lengthy procedures, limited institutional capacity, and gaps in legal protection continue to test the effectiveness of existing systems. Digitalisation is transforming how disputes are filed, processed, and resolved. At the same time, progress is evident: innovative initiatives are closing labour justice gaps around the world.
This Global Conversation Series on Access to Labour Justice provides a dynamic blended platform to explore practical solutions, innovative ideas and emerging opportunities. Grounded in ILO international labour standards on labour dispute prevention and resolution and enriched by comparative practice and a robust academic foundation, the course combines cutting-edge knowledge with hands-on, interactive learning. Participants exchange experiences, challenge assumptions and develop concrete, actionable strategies to make labour justice systems more accessible, inclusive and effective.
Perfil dos participantes
This course brings together a diverse network of professionals working in or around labour justice and dispute resolution, including:
- Labour dispute resolution practitioners — judges, magistrates, mediators, conciliators, arbitrators
- Public administration staff — Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Justice
- Employers' and workers' representatives
- Industrial relations practitioners
- ILO experts and project staff
- Academics and researchers working on labour law and access to justice
Course Topics
Foundations of labour justice systems
Principles, functions and global perspectives on labour justice — including the distinction between judicial and non-judicial mechanisms and the role of international labour standards. Grounded in ILO guidance on labour dispute prevention and resolution.
Legal and regulatory frameworks
Ensuring scope, coverage and effective access to labour justice — examining how legal frameworks shape access for workers, including migrant workers and those in the informal economy.
Institutions and mechanisms in practice
Courts, tribunals and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes — their design, functions, strengths and limitations in different national contexts.
Institutional performance and effectiveness
Making labour justice systems more operational using the ILO's principles of effectiveness for labour dispute prevention and resolution — including caseload management, timeliness, and enforcement of outcomes.
The role of social partners
The contribution of employers' organisations and trade unions to labour dispute prevention and resolution — including collective bargaining, grievance mechanisms, and bipartite dispute prevention initiatives.
Digitalisation and labour justice
How digital tools and e-justice reforms are reshaping how disputes are filed, processed, and resolved — including digital case management systems and their implications for access to justice.
Comparative experiences and peer learning
Sharing practices and insights across legal traditions, institutions and regions — including focus on specific sectors and geographic contexts.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this blended course on access to labour justice, you will be able to:
- Understand the key features of effective, accessible and inclusive labour justice systems
- Analyse the legal, institutional and procedural dimensions of labour dispute prevention and resolution
- Identify critical challenges related to accessibility, effectiveness and enforcement
- Compare judicial and non-judicial mechanisms, including alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
- Draw on international experiences and translate them into your own national or institutional context
- Engage with peers to exchange insights and share good practices in labour justice reform
- Develop practical, action-oriented solutions to improve access to labour justice
Why Join This Course?
- Cutting-edge knowledge — The course draws on the latest ILO research, including the outcomes of the 2025 Tripartite Technical Meeting on Access to Labour Justice for All and emerging comparative practices.
- Blended depth — Combine the flexibility of online learning with the intensity of a residential week in Turin for richer exchange and networking.
- A truly global community — Meet and learn from judges, mediators, ministry staff and social partners from across the world.
- Actionable takeaways — Leave with concrete strategies and tools applicable to your specific institutional and national context.
- ILO-grounded content — All teaching is anchored in ILO international labour standards and comparative legal practice.
Programme Format and Methodology
This highly interactive blended course runs across three phases:
- Phase 1 — Online (16–20 November 2026)
- Phase 2 — Residential in Turin (23–27 November 2026)
- Phase 3 — Online (30 November – 4 December 2026)
Introductory online module via the ITCILO eCampus portal. Participants engage with preparatory materials, interactive modules, and facilitated online discussions to build a shared foundation before the residential week.
Five days at the ITCILO Campus in Turin. Immersive, face-to-face sessions including expert presentations, real-life case studies, group work, peer exchange, and participatory workshops. Participants are accommodated at the campus with full board and private facilities.
Consolidation online module. Participants apply learning to their own contexts, complete assignments, and engage in a final exchange of good practices and action plans.
Language
The course is conducted in English. A good command of the language is required.
Registration and Practical Information
How to Apply
Click Apply Now and complete the online application form before the application deadline (1 November 2026). If sponsored by your institution, attach a sponsorship letter covering the course fee. Applications are reviewed through a standardised selection process. Questions? Contact socdial@itcilo.org. Course code: A9718881.
Fees
The total cost is €2,685 (€1,930 tuition + €755 subsistence for the residential phase in Turin). The full fee must be paid in advance by the participant or their sponsoring organisation. Participants will be provided with full board accommodation with private facilities at the ITCILO Campus, routine medical care and medical insurance, and use of computer and internet facilities.
Payment and cancellation
The total fee must be paid in advance. To withdraw, notify the Centre in writing at least 14 days before the course start date. See the full payment and cancellation policy.
Your Questions, Answered
Who is this course designed for?
This course is designed for professionals working in or around labour justice systems — including judges, mediators, conciliators, arbitrators, ministry staff, social partners, ILO project staff, and researchers. No specific prerequisites are required beyond a professional interest in labour dispute prevention and resolution.
What makes this course different from the conciliation/mediation courses?
This course takes a systemic, institutional and comparative perspective on labour justice — examining how entire systems are designed, governed and reformed. It is distinct from the courses in the ITCILO Conciliation/Mediation Learning Path, which focus on developing the practical skills of individual conciliators and mediators.
Is the residential phase mandatory?
Yes. All three phases of the blended programme are part of the course. Attendance at the residential week in Turin (23–27 November 2026) is expected and included in the course fee.
Does the course lead to a certificate?
Yes. Participants who successfully complete all phases of the programme receive an ITCILO Certificate of Participation.
Flagship ILO Publications — Further Reading
- A diagnostic tool for self-assessing the effectiveness of labour dispute prevention and resolution — A practical evaluation methodology for assessing national labour justice systems (ILO, 2023)
- Comparative law and practice on labour disputes prevention and resolution — A comprehensive comparative review of national systems (ILO, 2023)
- Adopted conclusions of the Tripartite Technical Meeting on Access to Labour Justice for All — The tripartite framework emerging from the February 2025 ILO meeting in Geneva
- Justice across borders: Access to labour justice for migrant workers — Cross-border dimensions of labour justice (ILO, 2024)
- Developing effective digital case management systems for labour dispute prevention and resolution institutions — ILO Working Paper 142 (2025)
- Professional conciliation in collective labour disputes: a practical guide — A practitioner-oriented guide to conciliation methodology
Start Learning About This Topic
This course sits within the broader ITCILO Social Dialogue curriculum, which covers collective bargaining, labour dispute prevention and resolution, and social dialogue at all levels. For practitioners seeking to develop their individual conciliation and mediation skills, explore the ITCILO Conciliation/Mediation Learning Path — from the free introductory self-paced course through to internationally recognised certification. To explore the ILO's normative framework underpinning labour justice systems, visit the ILO topic portal on labour dispute prevention and resolution.
Ready to strengthen your understanding of labour justice systems?
16 November – 4 December 2026 · Blended · English · Deadline: 1 November 2026 · €2,685
