Thematic forum, Tuesday, 18th June 2019, 10:00–12:00

Multilateralism for an equitable future of work

Inequality is a defining challenge of our time. Recent waves of globalization, notably in international trade and finance, have done much to reduce global inequality, and yet within countries, the gap between richest and poorest is widening. While extreme poverty has been reduced, income and wealth are increasingly concentrated. Most economies are growing, but the labour share of national income is declining, and large portions of the world’s workforce have experienced real wage stagnation. And while women’s economic contributions are growing, gender inequalities are persistent. All this has led to the growth of damaging and unacceptable inequalities, a situation where everybody loses. It is thus a critical time for decisive actions for an equitable future, which requires strong and coordinated responses at the global level. This session will examine what needs to be done at the international and regional levels to reduce inequality and how the multilateral system can work together in a more coherent manner.

Highlights from the forum


  1. Moderator

    Ms Linda Yueh

    Ms Linda Yueh is an international journalist. She is a Fellow in Economics, St Edmund Hall, Oxford University; Adjunct Professor at London Business School; and Visiting Professor at LSE IDEAS. She is also a broadcaster and writer. Her latest book, "The Great Economists: How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today", was selected among The Times Best Business Books of 2018 and Newsweek’s Best Books of 2018.

Panel discussion

  1. Mr Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo

    Director-General of WTO

    Mr Roberto Azevêdo is the sixth Director-General of the WTO. His appointment took effect on 1 September 2013 and he was reappointed in February 2017. During his time Mr Azevêdo has overseen two successful WTO Ministerial Conferences – in Bali in 2013 and Nairobi in 2015 – which delivered a series of significant outcomes in support of growth and development. During his tenure, Ambassador Azevêdo has prioritised efforts to increase the trading capacity of developing and least-developed countries. He hosted the 5th Global Review of Aid for Trade in 2015, supported the renewal of the Enhanced Integrated Framework into its second phase, and created the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility to ensure that developing and least-developed countries can access the support they need to implement the Agreement.

  2. Ms Sharan Burrow

    General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

    Ms Sharan Burrow is General Secretary of the ITUC, a position she has held since June 2010. Prior to this, she served as ITUC President since its Founding Congress in Vienna (November 2006) and held the position of ICFTU President since its 18th World Congress in Miyazaki (November 2004). She is the first woman to have held any of these positions. She has also served as a member of the Governing Body of the ILO and a member of the Stakeholder Council of the Global Reporting Initiative. As part of her ILO responsibilities, Sharan chaired the Workers’ Group of the Sub-Committee on Multinational Enterprises. Ms Sharan Burrow was re-elected General Secretary of the ITUC at its 3rd Congress, in May 2014 and at its 4th Congress, in December 2018.

  3. Ms Anousheh Karvar

    G7/G20 Sherpa (Labour & Employment) of France representing the G7 Presidency

    Ms Anousheh Karvar is the French Government representative to the International Labour Organization Governing Body and the Labour and Employment Task Officer to G7-G20. In 2012, she joined the Genaral Inspectorate for Social Affairs (the French Government audit, evaluation and inspection office for health, social security, social cohesion, employment and labour policies and organisations.) as a Senior Officer; and was then appointed as the Head of Labour and Employment Section of the office. She was formerly also the Deputy Director of the Minister of Labour’s cabinet (2016 to 2017), and Counsellor to the President of the Parliament in charge of social and territorial cohesion policies (2017 to 2018).

  4. Mr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki

    Chief Executive Officer NEPAD

    Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki of the Republic of Niger is the Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Agency, a position he has held since January 2009. From 1996 to 1997 he was appointed Minister in charge of African Integration and Cooperation and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Niger. In August 2000, he set up the Analysis Centre for Public Policy in Senegal. From 2000 to 2004, Dr Mayaki was a guest Professor at the University of Paris XI, where he lectured on international relations. In 2004, he served as Executive Director of the Platform in support of Rural Development in West and Central Africa, the Rural Hub, based in Dakar, Senegal.

  5. Mr Mahmoud Mohieldin

    Senior Vice President, World Bank Group

    Mr Mahmoud Mohieldin is the World Bank Group Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations, and Partnerships. Before joining the World Bank, Mohieldin held numerous senior positions in the government of Egypt, including minister of investment from 2004 until 2010. He also served on several boards of directors, including the Central Bank of Egypt. He is a professor of economics and finance at Cairo University, an honorary professor at Durham University and a member of the Advisory Board of the Durham Business School. He also held leading positions in national and regional research centers and think tanks. He has authored numerous publications and articles in leading journals in the fields of international finance, economics, and development in English and Arabic.

  6. Ms Gabriela Ramos

    OECD Sherpa to the G20 and Chief of Staff

    Ms Gabriela Ramos is the OECD Chief of Staff and Sherpa. Besides supporting the Strategic Agenda of the Secretary-General, she is responsible for the contributions of the Organisation to the global agenda, including the G20 and the G7. She leads the Inclusive Growth Initiative and the New Approaches to Economic Challenges and also oversees the work on Education, Employment and Social Affairs (including gender). Previously, she served as Head of the OECD Office in Mexico and Latin America, coordinating several reports on Mexico to advance the health and education reform. She developed the OECD’s Mexico Forum and edited and launched the “Getting it Right” flagship publication series. Prior to joining the OECD, Ms Ramos held several positions in the Mexican Government, including Director of Economic Affairs (and OECD issues) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Technical Secretary at the Office of the Minister for the Budget. She has also held several positions as Professor of International Economy at the Universidad Iberoamericana and the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México.

  7. Mr Peter Robinson

    President and CEO, United States Council for International Business (USCIB)

    Mr Peter Robinson is USCIB's 15th president. Robinson previously served as USCIB's senior vice president and chief operating officer. He helped establish some of USCIB's key practice areas, including e-commerce and customs/trade facilitation, and has extensive experience with USCIB's global network of business affiliates,
    enabling him to lead USCIB’s work in international regulatory diplomacy. Robinson has also had long-time involvement in the field of international education. He served as director of the inbound division at the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS), a global educational travel company, and served on the boards of directors of American Field Service (AFS) Intercultural Programs, AFS-USA and of NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

  8. Mr Guy Ryder

    Director General of the ILO

    Guy Ryder was elected as ILO Director-General by the ILO's Governing Body in 2012 and started a second term of office in 2017. He has served the ILO in various capacities including as Executive Director for labour standards and fundamental principles and rights at work. On taking office as Director-General, he pledged to position the Organization as a determined actor translating principle into action and ensuring that it had the capacity to make a major difference to the working lives of people on all continents. He was previously General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) (2006–2010). He is a graduate of the University of Cambridge.