In Baku on May 14, 2026, trade union leaders gathered in a seminar that could reshape how workers advocate for their rights across Azerbaijan—learning to navigate the machinery of international labour law with the precision of seasoned professionals. The Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation (AHIK), partnering with the International Labour Organization's Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV), brought together union activists and specialists to unlock a tool many workers didn't know they possessed: the ILO's own supervisory system, designed to hold governments accountable to labour standards they've already pledged to uphold.
The seminar spoke to a deeper reality that shapes worker protections worldwide. When a country ratifies an ILO Convention, it commits on paper—but enforcement depends partly on whether workers themselves know how to use the international mechanisms available to them. Trade unions that understand these systems can submit observations to supervisory bodies, participate in international discussions, and use the ILO's conclusions to push for labour reforms at home. Without that knowledge, ratified protections can gather dust.
Ayaz Aliyev, Chief of Staff of AHIK, opened the event by stressing how vital cooperation with the ILO was becoming for Azerbaijani unions—a signal that the confederation saw this not as an academic exercise but as essential capacity-building. Gocha Aleksandria, a Senior Specialist for Workers' Activities at the ILO's regional office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, spent the day walking participants through the organization's mandate, its governance, and its supervisory machinery. The presentations focused especially on two critical bodies: the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) and the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS). These aren't abstract institutions—they're where workers' voices can be heard when national governments resist implementing labour rights.
The seminar's real power lay in its practical focus. Rather than theory alone, participants learned how trade union federations from other countries have strategically used ILO supervisory procedures to address violations of freedom of association, collective bargaining, occupational safety and health, discrimination, and child labour. The examples were concrete: workers' organizations preparing observations for supervisory bodies, coordinating with international union networks to amplify their advocacy, and using ILO conclusions to support collective bargaining and legal reforms back home. These weren't hypothetical tactics but proven strategies that had worked elsewhere.
One particularly hands-on session let participants explore NORMLEX, the ILO's portal that offers country-specific data on ratified Conventions, supervisory comments, and reporting obligations. In an era when information access itself can be transformative, simply knowing how to navigate this database means union leaders can track their government's compliance and identify gaps.
The discussions throughout the day suggested something important: that coordinated action between national unions and international trade union organisations strengthens everyone's position. By pooling experiences and strategies, workers can generate international attention to labour rights concerns and create momentum for dialogue with governments. As the event concluded, participants reflected on how these lessons could take root in Azerbaijan specifically—how AHIK could deepen its engagement with ILO procedures and expand unions' role in implementing international labour standards where it matters most: in workplaces and communities across the country.