More than ever the modern welfare state is in the centre of public discussion. Long-term achievements in the field of social rights are being questioned. New approaches try to adapt the social net to the demands of a strong economy. Since these reflections are not specific to one country only, all attempts to solve the problem in the national context are deemed to fail: The model of the welfare state as such is in crisis. Since World War I a great number of rules in the field of social and labour protection have been elaborated. Many of them were ratified by more than half of the States of the World. Transnational law-making has even increased after World War II on the regional and the universal level, with the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Community as the main protagonists. It is the aim of the book presented here to show international social and labour law in its historical context, to discuss the impact of its norms on the work of practioners and tribunals and to explain their importance for the on-going discussion. The volume comprises the lectures given at a conference that was held in 1994 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the International Labour Organization.

Das Modell des Sozialstaats steht mehr denn je im Mittelpunkt der öffentlichen Diskussion. Langjährige Errungenschaften im sozialen Bereich werden in Frage gestellt, neue Ansätze zum Aufbau eines sozialen Netzes angedacht. Diese Entwicklungen betreffen nicht nur Deutschland: Das Modell des Sozialstaats ist allgemein in der Krise. Deshalb greifen Lösungsansätze, die nur den jeweiligen nationalen Kontext berücksichtigen, zu kurz. Seit dem ersten Weltkrieg ist eine Vielzahl von sozial- und arbeitsrechtlichen Schutzregelungen ausgearbeitet worden, die zum Teil von mehr als der Hälfte der Staaten dieser Erde ratifiziert wurden. Die normsetzende Tätigkeit im staatenübergreifenden Bereich wurde nach dem zweiten Weltkrieg auf internationaler wie auch auf regionaler Ebene ve

Inhalt: B. von Maydell / A. Nußberger, General Introduction - H. G. Bartolomei de la Cruz, International Labour Law: Renewal or Decline? - T. Öhlinger, Standard-Setting Activities by Regional Institutions, Taking the Council of Europe as an Example: The European Social Charter - M. Zuleeg, Social Rights in the European Community - B. Simma / M. Zöckler, Social Protection by International Law: Law-Making by Universal Organizations (Especially the United Nations) - R. Wolfrum, Obligations Under Public International Law to Implement International Rules: Mechanisms to Monitor such Implementation - B. Vukas, The Diverse Supervisory Procedures in a Comparison - J. von Muralt, The Role of Technical Cooperation in the Promotion of International Labour Standards - R. Schuler, The Consideration of International Standards in National Legal Practice (Administration and Court Decisions) - L. Florek, The Significance of International Labour Standards to the Transformation Process in Poland - H. G. Bartolomei de la Cruz / W. Adamy / C. Hess / G. Brinkmann / W. Ohndorf, Panel Discussion: Is There a Need for the Further Development of Existing Protection Standards in the Field of Social Security? (Examined in the Light of Convention No. 102 Concerning Minimum Standards of Social Security). Introduced by B. von Maydell - A. Nußberger, Is the International Labour Organization in a State of Transition?