The International Labor Organization and other groups argue that the absence of international labour standards makes it harder for the world’s poor to escape poverty; further, they argue that stringent standards should be part of international aid efforts. The problem, though, is that labour standards seek to address the effects of poverty rather than its causes, and international labour standards are going to make things worse for the world’s poor rather than better. If you want to help poor people, restricting their options and opportunities is not the answer.