DECENT WORK AS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT IN THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM: ADVANCES, LIMITATIONS, AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES

Abstract

Decent work has been consolidated, within the international system, as a fundamental human right directly linked to the dignity of the human person, social justice, and the promotion of sustainable development. From the second half of the 20th century onwards, international human rights instruments and standards of the International Labour Organization began to recognize work not only as an economic activity, but as an essential dimension for the realization of fundamental rights. This article analyzes decent work as a human right in the international system, examining its main normative and institutional advances, as well as the contemporary limits and challenges to its effectiveness. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative approach, of a theoretical-normative nature, based on bibliographic review and documentary analysis of international treaties, ILO declarations, and specialized literature. The results indicate that, despite the normative consolidation of decent work, a significant mismatch persists between legal recognition and material protection, especially in contexts marked by the precariousness of labor relations, informality, work through digital platforms, and profound socioeconomic inequalities between States. It is concluded that the realization of decent work as a fundamental human right requires the strengthening of labor institutions, the articulation between economic and social policies, and the reinforcement of the State's role as guarantor of dignity at work, otherwise decent work will remain a normative ideal dissociated from the concrete reality of workers.