Fair globalization

Globalization has created developmental opportunities for countries through diffusing technology, widening markets for goods and services, expanding investment, and internationalizing businesses and business processes. Yet there is concern about the potentially negative impacts of globalization, particularly on employment, working conditions, equality, international labour standards and social protection. The current financial and economic crisis has greatly deepened this concern. Fair Globalization is about harnessing the benefits of globalization while promoting sustainable economic and social development. A key premise of Fair Globalization is the importance of social dialogue among governments and workers and employers organizations within and across borders to achieve social cohesion and promote international labour standards. The ILO’s work builds on the path-breaking report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization.

The Policy Integration Department promotes synergies across the pillars of decent work --- employment creation, rights at work, social dialogue and social protection, as well as the need for greater coherence among economic and social policies more generally. It plays a role in building links between the United Nations Organisation’s various programmes, in improving interaction among international agencies for greater coherence in policies, strategies, programmes and activities and undertakes research on promoting decent work in the context of globalization.