The 112^th session of the International Labour Conference /ILC/ was held from 3 to 14 June 2024 in Geneva. Over 4,900 delegates from governments, workers' and employers' organisations took part in the 112^th session of the ILC. This year, the large-scale international event was held under the call for a renewed social contract.

The 20-member tripartite national delegation led by Mr. Ivaylo Ivanov, Minister of Labour and Social Policy of the Republic of Bulgaria, actively participated in all committees of the 112^th session of the ILC. The Bulgarian tripartite delegation contributed to the work of the Committee on Application of Standards, to discussions on the development of the first international standard in the field of biological hazards and to the adoption of conclusions on decent work and the care economy and on fundamental principles and rights at work.

On June 7, 2024, Mrs. Natalia Efremova, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy of the Republic of Bulgaria, delivered a plenary speech on the report of the Director General of the International Labuor Organization /ILO/ "Towards a Renewed Social Contract". Deputy Minister Efremova emphasized that Bulgaria will continue to uphold and develop the principles of respect for universal human rights, equal access to opportunities, the right to social protection and just transitions on the labour market. She highlighted the role of international labour standards and tripartite dialogue in overcoming inequalities and ensuring decent work and social justice. She further highlighted the importance and the crucial role of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, created upon the initiative of the ILO Director General, which Bulgaria joined as a partner in early 2024.

Plenary speeches were also delivered by the Delegate of the Bulgarian Workers, Mr. Ioanis Parteniotis, Vice-Chairman of the Confederation of Labour "Podkrepa", and the Delegate of the Bulgarian Employers, Mr. Evgeniy Ivanov, Executive Director and Member of the Executive Board of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria /KRIB/.

Ioanis Parteniotis pointed out that social justice is the responsibility of the whole society and emphasized that the only way to achieve balance and protect the interests of workers is through social dialogue. Evgeniy Ivanov drew attention to the key priorities of employers aimed at creating sustainable employment and decent work, among which: productivity and competitiveness of companies, digitalization and skills development, promotion of gender equality, non-discrimination, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

A Special Sitting on the situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories was held on 6 June 2024. The Director-General of the ILO described the situation in Gaza as "catastrophic" and stressed the need to prepare a job-rich recovery of the occupied Arab territories anchored in decent work.

The 112th session of the ILC elected a new Governing Body of the ILO for the period 2024-2027. Plamen Dimitrov, Chairman of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria /CITUB/ was elected as a Worker Deputy Delegate.

On 7 June 2024, a dialogue with the co-facilitators of the Second World Summit for Social Development took place. The readiness of the ILO to contribute meaningfully to the preparation of the Summit scheduled for 2025 was stated during the discussions.

On 13 June 2024, was held the long-awaited Inaugural Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice – the high-level event that formally launched the ILO Director-General's key initiative. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Co-Chair of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, and Nepal's President Ram Chandra Paudel spoke at the Inaugural Forum, which was attended by more than 40 ministers of ILO Member States.

On 14 June 2024, the 112th session of the ILC approved a resolution on the development of the first international labour standard in the field of biological hazards in the world of work. The 113th session of the ILC in 2025 is expected to adopt an international convention supplemented by a recommendation in this area.

Delegates also endorsed the conclusions of the ILO's third-ever discussion on fundamental principles and rights at work, and the first discussion on the topic since the access to a safe and healthy working environment was elevated to a fifth fundamental principle and right at work. The conclusions provide guidance for effectively respecting, promoting and realizing fundamental principles and rights at work in an era of rapid change in the world of work.

The 112th session of the ILC adopted as well conclusions on decent work and the care economy, which emphasized that a well-functioning and robust care economy plays a critical role in building crisis resilience as well as leading to social and economic development.

The plenary session also approved the report of the main supervisory body of the ILO – the Committee on the Application of Standards. The Committee examined the General Survey on Labour Administration in a Changing World of Work and confirmed the vital role of effective labour administrations in achieving decent work, ensuring the promotion and respect of fundamental principles and rights at work, and creating an enabling environment for sustainable enterprises. The committee examined 24 individual country cases related to compliance with ILO conventions and held a special sitting on Belarus regarding compliance with ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98.