ILO Governing Body Weighs a Roadmap to Formalize Informal Work

More than two billion people go to work every day without a formal contract, social protection or a clear legal status for the business they work for. This week in Geneva, the International Labour Organization's Governing Body is considering a plan to change that over the next six years.

The draft global road map on the transition to formality for decent work, covering 2027 to 2032, is on the agenda of the Governing Body's 358th Session, which opened on November 9 and runs until November 19. The Guardian in Nigeria reported on the opening of the deliberations on November 10.

The Scale of the Problem

According to the ILO document prepared for the session, informality accounted for just under 58 percent of total employment in 2026. That is more than two billion workers, and eight in ten enterprises worldwide, based on the ILO's modelled estimates.

For professionals in formal jobs, that number can feel distant. It should not. Informal work shapes supply chains, sets the price of labor in many sectors, and affects who has access to sick pay, pensions and safety rules. It also limits the tax base that funds public services.

The ILO notes that high informality has persisted since member states adopted Recommendation No. 204 on the transition from the informal to the formal economy in 2015, even as new technologies, the shift to greener economies and changing supply chains create fresh risks and opportunities.

What the Road Map Proposes

The draft was requested by the International Labour Conference in June 2025, which asked the ILO to build a global, time bound road map with short, medium and long term objectives and a clear monitoring framework. The ILO says the draft drew on input from 163 governments, employers' groups and workers' groups through a consultation questionnaire.

The plan is organized into three phases. The first, foundation and readiness, is set for 2027 and 2028 and focuses on diagnostics, coordination and agreed strategies. The second, implementation and scaling, runs through 2029 and 2030. The third, institutionalization and sustainability, covers 2031 and 2032.

Its guiding principles include country ownership, decisions shaped through dialogue among governments, employers and workers, and what the document calls a culture of formality. The aim is to make formal status viable and attractive for workers and small businesses, rather than simply penalizing informality.

The Governing Body is being asked to endorse the road map and to provide guidance. The ILO says the financial implications will be assessed after its budget decisions for 2028 and 2029.

What Else Is on the Table

The session has a crowded agenda. The Governing Body is following up on standard setting discussions on decent work in the platform economy, an issue for delivery riders, drivers and freelancers worldwide. It is also scheduled to elect a new Director General on November 16, for a five year term beginning October 1, 2027, The Guardian reported.

Why It Matters for Your Career

For employers with global operations, formalization rules will touch sourcing decisions, supplier audits and compliance work. Companies that buy from regions with high informality will face more questions from investors and regulators about labor conditions further down the chain.

For managers and HR leaders, the platform economy discussion is the one to watch. How countries classify gig workers will affect hiring models, contractor policies and benefit costs.

For individual workers, the long term direction is clear even if the timeline is slow. Formal status brings access to protections that many professionals take for granted. Understanding how that shift is negotiated globally is part of understanding the future labor market.

What Comes Next

The road map is still a draft. Its final shape will depend on the Governing Body's decision and on how much funding the ILO can commit. Implementation, if approved, would start in 2027 and be led country by country. Professional Mag will follow the outcome when the session closes on November 19.