This work investigates the historical influence and legal evolution of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in promoting social justice within the framework of international law over its first half-century. C. Wilfred Jenks, a prominent legal scholar and former Director-General of the ILO, utilizes his extensive institutional experience to analyze how the organization shifted the focus of international law from purely state-centric relations to the protection of individual social and economic rights. The text argues that the ILO serves as a critical mechanism for codifying labor standards that transcend national borders.

Legal scholars and historians frequently cite this text as a foundational resource for understanding the institutional history of international labor law. Experts note that the prose reflects the formal, academic style characteristic of the Hersch Lauterpacht lecture series.