Making decent work and the SDGs a reality

The Group of Friends for Decent Work convened a high-level event to discuss the implementation of decent work in the newly adopted 2030 Agenda.

News | 05 October 2015
No sooner was the 2030 Agenda unanimously adopted by the full General Assembly, when the Group of Friends of Decent Work for Sustainable Development hosted a high level working lunch to explore the implications of such a far reaching agenda as well as sketch out the next steps related to the implementation of the decent work outcomes as prescribed by the new development vision.

The meeting featured approximately 60 participants, including around 20 Ministers and Secretaries of State, senior officials from Foundations, business executives, social partners and civil society, including representatives of the youth and persons with disabilities. The meeting was organized by the Permanent Missions of Angola and Belgium, the co-chairs of the Group of Friends, in collaboration with the ILO.

In his opening remarks, the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, stated that the Group of Friends was established to ensure that decent work featured in the Agenda 2030 but emphasized that work now must focus on implementation. He underscored the inextricable link between the Decent Work Agenda and many of the sustainable development goals (SDG). He emphasized that special attention should be given to formalizing labour markets and recalled that the informal economy comprised 80-90 per cent of employment in some developing countries.

Addressing environmental aspects of sustainability, Mr. De Croo said that the green economy had an important role in providing opportunities for job creation, particularly at the local level. Furthermore, the digital revolution was also a critical entry point for the democratization of economies. Mobile communication for example, has contributed to greater transparency in decision making, better access to information and has also broadened opportunities for entrepreneurship. He encouraged the participants to focus on how the Group could work together to implement the new agenda.

The co-chair, Angolan Foreign Minister, Georges Rebelo Chicoti, acknowledged that decent work and many elements related to employment and social protection are an integral part of the 2030 Agenda. He said that the adoption of the new agenda was a sign of renewed hope for young people around the world in their quest for decent job opportunities, as well as for governments and peoples wanting to benefit from peace and security and share the benefits of economic growth. The Foreign Minister emphasized the connection between the jobs and security agendas and invited participants to share ideas on how to deliver on the commitments of SDG 8.

The Special Advisor of the Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning, Amina J. Mohammed, said that it was important to consider how the various goals were interrelated in order to maintain the intention of an integrated framework. The starting point for implementation of the SDGs was to continue the important work already carried out as part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and ensure those goals were not reversed.

In closing, Ms. Mohammed stated that the validity of the SDGs would largely depend on a robust accountability framework, which would depend on the yet to be finalized set of indicators. The development of effective indicators and ensuring the close collaboration of statisticians was critical to ensuring accountability at the global level, but also indicators were critically needed at the country level.

As the programme opened up discussion to the assembled participants, all were brimming with innovative ideas and suggestions on how to achieve the SDGs through true participatory partnerships and collaborative action. Some of those ideas are listed below:
  • There was a need for people in the global workforce to have a voice in decisions that impacted upon them and that democratically-elected membership organizations, such as trade unions, could help by channelling ideas and actions for increased productivity, enhanced inclusive economic growth and building strong accountability frameworks.
  • Achieving sustainable development rested on the realization that decent work is a human right and that governments need to take an inclusive approach in promoting this approach with all line ministries and their interaction with civil society.
  • Collective bargaining is a foundational aspect of decent work and needed to be expanded while stimulating more productive partnerships between the public and private sectors to ensure effective engagement and clarity of roles and responsibilities.
  • Economic growth did not necessarily translate into job creation and there is an urgent need to develop new models of industrial relations including sustainable value chains for inclusive economic growth.
  • Labour intensive development practices, particularly in the agricultural sector and MSMEs, provided ample opportunity for job creation and needs to be supported by investments from the private sector.
  • The SDGs, particularly goal 8 on decent work, are a priority concern for young people to help facilitate the transition from school to work. The participatory and inclusive consultation process leading up to the SDGs had created a vast sense of ownership among young people.
  • The inclusion of decent work in the SDGs was a crucial victory since jobs were not originally included in the MDGs. And although the SDGs were not “legally binding”, it is hoped that they will be “morally binding”.
  • In regard to financing the SGDs, there is a need to analyse more closely the trends in capital flows to developing countries, and the need to strike the right balance between over-regulation and under-protection.
  • It was emphasized that real accountability could help transform current business models but so far has not gotten to the core of the challenges. There was a need to think about how companies shared value could be expanded through supply chains, particularly in addressing global inequalities. Efforts should be taken to amplify best examples of businesses that have taken bold steps to promote the principles encompassed under SDG8. Efforts were also needed to strengthen global and national tax systems to ensure benefits were fairly distributed.
  • The SDGs are an important step forward and - for the first time - recognized the diversity of the global economy. The expanded use of cooperatives, further employment support for persons with disabilities and helping youth with the transition from school to the formal economy needs strategic coherence and effective collaboration.
  • Progress on inclusive economic growth nationally and globally should move beyond GDP and focus on building prosperous societies where growth is fairly shared. Governments should focus on priority areas, including wealth inequality, gender equality, workers’ rights and increased government accountability. Together, wages, social protection, rights and macroeconomic policies must be integrated to create ‘quality jobs’.

In closing the event, Mr De Croo, speaking on behalf of the co-chairs of the Group of Friends, requested the secretariat to prepare a proposal on how best to organize a multi-stakeholder platform which will form the basis for wider engagement and achievement on the SDGs through decent work, with particular focus on SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth.