No other actor is better placed to shape the world of work in a globalising economy than the International Labor Organisation (ILO). Its international labor standards and Decent Work Agenda, formulated and agreed upon by its tripartite stakeholders (government, employers and workers) should foster employment and guarantee a better deal for workers. Why reality still does not always match standards and how the ILO continues to press for its realisation is the subject of Werner Sengenberger’s analysis.