In August 2025, the International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with Colombia’s Supreme Court of Justice and the Rodrigo Lara Bonilla Judicial School, conducted two training events in Bucaramanga and Medellín to strengthen judicial capacities in applying International Labour Standards (ILS). The programme, part of the project Institutional Strengthening to Promote Compliance with International Labour Standards in Colombia, targeted judicial officials specializing in labour matters. The five-day, in-person sessions aimed to provide judges with technical and procedural tools to integrate international standards into labour decisions, thereby enhancing the quality of judicial outcomes, promoting respect for labour rights, and supporting sustainable development.
Funded by the Ministry of Labour of Employment and Social Development Canada, and organized with the Labour Cassation Chamber of the Supreme Court and the Rodrigo Lara Bonilla Judicial School, the programme combined participatory methods with practical, legal, and procedural content relevant to judicial practice. Participants studied eight modules covering topics such as international labour obligations under trade agreements and the Canada–Colombia Labour Action Plan, fundamental ILO Conventions, incorporation of international conventions into Colombian law, judicial jurisdiction over labour rights, subcontracting and outsourcing, procedural protocols, reforms to the Labour Procedure and Social Security Code, and Occupational Safety and Health, including ILO Convention No. 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work.
The training also provided a platform for exchanging experiences on the practical application of ILS in real cases, allowing participants to identify effective strategies and judicial criteria that could be replicated across courts. Deepening knowledge of International Labour Standards is essential because these instruments contain human rights provisions that higher courts, tribunals, and labour judges must enforce. Integrating ILS into judicial practice ensures compliance with Colombia’s international obligations, strengthens the protection of fundamental labour rights, and provides legal certainty for workers and employers.
According to Marialaura Fino, ILO Specialist in International Labour Standards for the Andean Countries, a judiciary aligned with international standards promotes coherent and predictable dispute resolution, reduces procedural uncertainty, and facilitates adherence to trade agreements and bilateral labour action plans. By embedding ILS into judicial decisions, Colombia translates international standards into tangible protections and greater legal coherence for the country.
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