“The central conclusion is that the Decent Work Agenda is an appropriate policy framework to confront the crisis,” said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia. “There is a powerful message that tripartite dialogue with employers’ and workers’ organizations should play a central role in addressing the economic crisis and developing policy responses.”
The ILO met amid new reports that the global economic crisis was deepening. Preliminary ILO estimates indicate that unemployment could increase worldwide by some 15 to 20 million in 2009, while the number of working poor living on less than $2 per day was also expected to rise.
“This calls for urgent action,” said the Chair and Employer and Worker Vice-Chairs of the ILO Governing Body in a special statement issued on the financial and economic crisis. “We need comprehensive and coordinated measures to minimize the duration and the depth of the downturn in the global economy as well as to combat possible negative social consequences and accelerate recovery.”
The statement identifies a number of measures that would be necessary to “address the impact of the crisis on the real economy to protect people, support productive enterprises and safeguard jobs”, including:
- ensuring the flow of credit to consumption, trade and investment;
- protecting persons most exposed, including extending social protection and unemployment benefits, and promoting training, retraining and placement services;
- supporting productive, profitable and sustainable enterprises together with a strong social economy and a viable public sector, so as to maximize employment and decent work;
- ensuring that social progress is not undermined in the current crisis;
- developing strong cooperation between the ILO and its tripartite constituents with the multilateral system in order to assist countries in implementing measures aimed at addressing the crisis; and
- maintaining development aid as a minimum at current levels and providing additional credit lines and support to enable low-income countries to cushion the crisis.
“We now have clear guidance on how to move forward,” said Mr. Somavia. “We will do this by expanding the ILO’s work on responses to the labour and social consequences of the crisis; supporting ILO constituents as they forge responses; and engaging with the multilateral system, including the G20 process and international finance institutions.”