Induction of labour is defined as the process of artificially stimulating the uterus to start labour. It is usually performed by administering oxytocin or prostaglandins to the pregnant woman or by manually rupturing the amniotic membranes. Induction of labour is not riskfree, and many women find it uncomfortable. Over the past several decades, the incidence of inducing labour for shortening the duration of pregnancy has continued to rise. In highincome countries, the proportion of infants delivered at term following induction of labour can be as high as one in four births. In low- and middle-income countries the rates are generally lower, but in some settings, they can be as high as those observed in high-income countries. Improving care for women around the time of childbirth is a necessary step towards the achievement of the health targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Efforts to prevent and reduce morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and childbirth could help address the profound inequities in maternal and perinatal health globally. To achieve these aims, healthcare providers, health managers, policy makers and other stakeholders need up-todate and evidence-based recommendations to inform clinical policies and practices. In 2017, the Executive Guideline Steering Group (GSG) on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) maternal and perinatal health recommendations prioritized the updating of the existing WHO recommendations on the induction of labour at or beyond term in response to important new evidence on this intervention. These recommendations are arevalidation of the previous recommendations issued in 2011 in the WHO recommendations on induction of labour.