“My grandmother was a child domestic worker in the Netherlands, what we now consider child labour,” recounts Peter van Rooij, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia at the International Labour Organization (ILO). “We now agree, across the globe, that child labour is unacceptable. Every child deserves to go to school, to have a childhood where they don’t have to work.”
In a conversation with UNRIC, he explains what decent work for all means in practice, and why multilateralism is very much alive.
How does the ILO concretely improve the lives of workers? And what recent progress makes you particularly proud?
We provide technical assistance; experts on occupational safety and health, skills, employment policy, social protection, the care economy, and gender equality. We also increasingly facilitate how countries can learn from each other.
A couple of months ago I received a short video of a colleague in a country in Asia where, in parliament, they just adopted a law to give domestic workers rights. It took a long time, but 4.2 million women are now going to get workers’ rights, including contracts and social protection. 4.2 million women and their families are now getting the rights they deserve.
The ILO region of Europe and Central Asia is vast and diverse. How do you manage that?
We have 51 countries in our region, from Iceland to Central Asia. They are very different, yet all Member States should have the same ambition: social justice through decent work for all.
Some things are standardised, like the Conventions [legally binding international treaties], other toolboxes are adapted to the national context. It is about inspiration and adaptation, not copy-paste.
International labour standards set out what is expected of all Member States that ratify them. By virtue of membership, all ILO Member States must comply with the fundamental principles in the 10 fundamental Conventions, whether ratified or not: eliminating child labour, forced labour, and discrimination at work; ensuring a safe and healthy working environment; and freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
Where implementation falls short, our Committee of Experts, an independent body within the ILO, can flag non-compliance in Member States, a powerful tool for getting issues resolved or at least clarified.
It can go further too: if Member States must already report on a Convention, why not ratify it? That scrutiny and exposure can push Member States to take the extra step.
What are the challenges for workers in Europe in the 21st century — and what does AI mean specifically for them?
Digitalisation is one of them. Artificial intelligence is one of them. The platform economy is another, not new, but having a huge impact on millions of people.
At the recent International Labour Conference in June 2026, we adopted Convention No. 193 on Decent Work in the Platform Economy. People are working through platforms, such as for food delivery or working online, and it is not always clear: are they an employee or are they self-employed? With all the potential for confusion, misunderstanding, and abuse, this Convention brings global guidance on definitions, on the platform economy itself, but also on who is a worker, and should have workers’ rights, including a contract, social protection, and occupational safety and health. Multilateralism is alive.
AI could disrupt 40% of jobs but also create millions of new ones. What does it mean specifically for European workers?
Exposure to AI does not automatically mean job losses. We can see that different tasks are at stake, and AI is more likely to transform those tasks rather than eliminate entire occupations.
According to ILO estimates, Europe is among the regions most exposed to generative AI. We do see that women face particularly high exposure, because they are overrepresented in clerical and administrative occupations. In Europe, around 40% of female employment is concentrated in exposed occupations, compared to roughly one quarter of male employment.
The same technology can produce very different outcomes depending on how effectively workers are supported through transitions. Europe is relatively well-positioned to manage the transition to other jobs, because there will also be new opportunities, in less standardised roles, for instance in the creative economy.
You mentioned your grandmother was in child labour. If you could change one thing globally for workers, what would it be?
Safe and decent work with living wages and social protection for all. COVID-19 made many people realise how important it is to provide social protection. Now, just over 52% of the working population on the planet is covered by at least one form of social protection. We have made progress, but that is still a long way to go.
Twenty-five years ago, the ILO estimate was 250 million children in child labour. Now it’s been reduced to 138 million. Still 138 million too many. But we have made progress, every lower number means one less child who suffers.
What advice would you give to young people who are considering an international career?
I wanted to become a truck driver or a pilot when I was six years old. I didn’t manage that, but I found my way, and a lot has happened that I would never have anticipated.
To make a difference, you need to work as a team. One person is not going to change the world. But working together, in the context of universal values and structures that exist, we can make a difference. And sometimes it takes more time than others, but the ILO has made tremendous progress over more than 100 years.
Don’t give up. With that commitment, you will find your way and you can make a difference.
The interview text has been edited for brevity and clarity.