The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, adopted in 1998 as an ILO response to globalization, states that all ILO Members have an obligation, simply by virtue of their belonging to the ILO, to respect, to promote and to realize, in good faith and in accordance with the Constitution, the principles concerning certain fundamental rights, including freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.

In a global context characterized by growing numbers of integration initiatives, the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, established by the ILO, stated in 2004 that regional integration and cooperation can serve as a stepping stone to take advantage of global opportunities and to ensure that the benefits are fairly distributed, i.e. to promote a more equitable pattern of globalization.

Regional integration poses many challenges in the field of freedom of association, both for governments and employers' and workers' organizations, and with regard to relevant international labour standards and the systems established to monitor their application. The issues also vary widely from one region to another.