| Flag |
State |
Date of withdrawal |
Date of admission |
Notes |
|---|
|
Albania |
5 August 1967 |
22 May 1991[62] |
In 1965, Albania gave notification of withdrawal from the ILO, citing the organization's lack of support to anti-colonial liberation movements and exclusion of communist countries. Following the end of the Cold War, Albania was admitted. |
|
Costa Rica |
1 January 1927[64] |
21 April 1944[65] |
In December 1924, Costa Rica gave notice of withdrawal from the League of Nations due to perceived ill-treatment for overdue membership contributions and dissatisfaction with the League's lack of action against the United States for pursuing the Monroe Doctrine. Withdrawal from the League precipitated Costa Rica's withdrawal from the ILO. Starting in 1942, engagement with the ILO led to admission in 1944.[64] |
|
El Salvador |
1939 |
21 June 1948[67] |
In 1937, the government gave notice of withdrawal from the League of Nations and the ILO. The official reason given related to financial priorities, but there was also a lack of active participation by El Salvador in Geneva.[68] Furthermore, from the mid-1930 El Salvador was more focussed on continental (Inter-American) affairs and the consequences of the failure of the League of Nations to adequately manage the Abyssinia Crisis also influenced the government's decision. Following the Second World War, El Salvador reestablished relations with the ILO and was admitted in June 1948.[71] |
|
Germany |
21 October 1935[72] |
12 June 1951[73] |
The passage of the Enabling Act of 1933 effectively gave the Nazi Party complete control of the German state, whereupon repression of political enemies occurred; this included trade unions, whose assets were confiscated and whose members were transferred to the Nazi-controlled German Labour Front (DAF). At the 1933 International Labour Conference the credentials of the DAF as a legitimate (independent) workers' organization were rejected and during the Conference itself, criticisms were leveled at the Nazi government's suppression of trade unions and support for antisemitism. Following the Conference, Germany gave notice of intent to withdraw from the ILO, which came into effect in 1935. After the Second World War, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany at the time) was admitted in 1951. The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was admitted as a separate state from 1 January 1974. |
|
Guatemala |
26 May 1938[77] |
19 October 1945[78] |
During the 1930s, the government increasingly focussed on continental (i.e. Inter-American) affairs which were regarded ultimately as incompatible with the League of Nations, giving notice to withdraw from the League and the ILO in May 1936. Following the Second World War, on 14 September 1945, Guillermo Toriello, Minister for External Affairs, requested admission to the ILO, which was completed the following month.[80] |
|
Italy |
December 1939 |
19 October 1945[82] |
Following the Abyssinia Crisis in 1935, where Fascist Italy ultimately annexed Ethiopia to create Italian East Africa, the government became increasingly dissatisfied with the League of Nations and on 11 December 1937, Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, in a national address, announced Italy's withdrawal from the League of Nations. On 16 December 1937, the ILO received notification from Galeazzo Ciano, Minister of Foreign Affairs, of Italy's intention to withdraw.[84] The fall of the fascist regime led to the reestablishment of relations with the ILO in 1944, an agreement in May 1945 to appoint an ILO representative in Rome and the country's admission in October of that year.[85] |
|
Honduras |
10 July 1938[77] |
1 January 1955[86] |
Close to the position of Guatemala favouring Inter-American approaches, Honduras gave notification of withdrawal from the League of Nations in July 1936 and did not indicate any intention to remain in the ILO.[77] In January 1955 Honduras was admitted. |
|
Japan |
November 1940[88] |
26 November 1951[89] |
Starting with the Mukden Incident, Japan came under increasing criticism and condemnation in the League of Nations, eventually leading to withdrawal from the League in 1933. Although maintaining ILO membership, contradictions between government policy, a reversal of positive attitudes of the employers and the broader international deterioration of inter-state relations led to Japan giving notice of withdrawal in November 1938. Following the Second World War, in March 1948 an ILO Committee in Japan was established and in 1951 the country was admitted.[93] |
|
Lesotho |
15 July 1971[94] |
2 June 1980[34] |
Between 1971 and 1980, Lesotho withdrew from the ILO due to an inability to meet the financial obligations of membership. |
|
Nicaragua |
26 June 1938[77] |
9 April 1957[96] |
Close to the position of Guatemala favouring Inter-American approaches, Nicaragua gave notice of withdrawal from the League of Nations in June 1936 and confirmed withdrawal from the ILO in June 1938.[77] In April 1957, Nicaragua was admitted.[97] |
|
Paraguay |
23 February 1937[98] |
5 September 1956[37] |
Following dissatisfaction with decisions of the League of Nations related to the Chaco War, Paraguay announced withdrawal from the League and the ILO in February 1935.[99][100] In September 1956, Paraguay was admitted to the ILO.[98] |
|
Romania |
10 July 1942[101] |
11 May 1956[102] |
Romania gave notification of withdrawal from the League of Nations in July 1940 and did not indicate any intention to remain in the ILO. In May 1956, Romania was admitted to the ILO.[103] |
|
Spain |
8 May 1941 |
28 May 1956[104] |
Spain gave notification of withdrawal from the League of Nations in May 1939 and did not indicate any intention to remain in the ILO. In May 1956, Spain was admitted to the ILO.[105] |
|
Soviet Union |
February 1940 |
26 April 1954[107] |
The Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations in December 1939 following the start of the Winter War. However, this expulsion did not automatically invalidate membership in the ILO; not until the meeting of the ILO Administrative Council in February the following year was the membership rescinded. While the death of leader Joseph Stalin played a direct role in the reorientation of Soviet policy, an inability to successfully influence UN affairs and a desire to have broader contacts with the non-communist world, saw the USSR take up membership in the ILO in April 1954. |
|
South Africa |
11 March 1966 |
26 May 1994[112] |
In March 1964, the South African foreign minister notified the ILO of the country's withdrawal. From the late 1950s, the country's policy of institutionalized racial discrimination, officially known as Apartheid, had come under frequent condemnation; rather than be formally excluded from the ILO by a vote of the constituents, South Africa chose to withdraw. Following the end of Apartheid and the conclusion of multi-racial elections, South Africa joined the ILO in 1994.[114] |
|
United States of America |
6 November 1977[115] |
18 February 1980[116] |
Although US employers and trade unions had long expressed dissatisfaction with the ILO due to the admission of the Soviet Union in 1954, official United States government withdrawal was triggered by reactions to three issues in the 1970s: the role of the Soviet Union, policy towards Israel/Palestine and organizational processes. In July 1970, the appointment of the Soviet diplomat Pavel Astapenko as ILO Assistant Director-General led to the US cancelling part of its membership payments, following lobbying of the US Congress by George Meany, AFL-CIO President, who considered the ILO to be overly influenced by the Soviet Union. The adoption by the 1974 International Labour Conference of a resolution condemning "Israeli authorities" for "discrimination, racism and violation of trade union freedoms and rights" in Palestine,[b] despite the ILO having conducted no previous investigations of matter, was strongly opposed by US representatives and the granting of observer status to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) at the 1975 Conference,[c] led the US employer, government and trade union representatives to boycott the Conference's remaining sessions. The combination of these saw the US Government give notice of an intention to withdraw in November 1975. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger indicated that the US would not follow through with withdrawal if there were improvements in US areas of concern. However, in the two years following, decisions at the ILO went against US wishes, in particular, the 1977 Conference decision which, due to a lack of quorum, failed to adopt the recommendations of the Committee of Experts (which detailed the failure to observe ILO standards in Argentina, Bolivia, Chad, Chile, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Liberia and the USSR). In November 1977, President Jimmy Carter affirmed the decision of the Ford administration to withdraw from the ILO, despite advice from Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski to suspend withdrawal for a year, and appeals to remain from nine West European countries, Japan and the Pope. In the years immediately following departure, changes in ILO procedures, including the introduction of secret balloting, the requirement for due process investigations prior to the adoption of resolutions and the opening of investigations into the violation of trade union rights in the Soviet Union and Poland, led to a re-evaluation, with President Carter affirming ILO membership on 18 February 1980. |
|
Venezuela |
3 May 1957 |
15 March 1958 |
In April 1955, the Venezuelan government expelled a Dutch worker delegate of the ILO Governing Body who voiced criticisms of freedom of association rights in the country during a meeting of the ILO's Petroleum Committee in Caracas. Officers of the Governing Body subsequently adjourned the meeting, to which the Venezuelan government immediately objected and shortly after notified their intention to withdraw from the ILO. On 15 March 1958, Venezuela formally accepted the obligations of membership and was admitted. |
|
Vietnam |
1 June 1985[30] |
20 May 1992[131] |
In June 1983, Vietnam gave notification of an intention to withdraw temporarily. The reasons included an inability to pay the assessed membership fees due to extreme financial constraints, a lack of technical support and dissatisfaction with ILO investigations into claims of Vietnamese workers being subject to forced labour in the Soviet Union. The withdrawal went into effect in 1985; Vietnam was admitted in 1992.[131] |
|
Yugoslavia |
16 June 1949 |
16 May 1951 |
In 1947, with the emergence of the Cold War, Yugoslavia gave notice of withdrawal, citing incompatibility between the structures of the ILO and the country's ongoing socialist development. The withdrawal came into effect in 1949, however, Yugoslavia was admitted in 1951.[134] |
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