Consultations and seminar

Trade, investment and decent work in Indonesia

A joint seminar with the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs aim to involve ILO constituents in practical dialogue on how trade and investment policies can affect decent work and sustainable development. The event will be structured around two core components – national-level tripartite consultations and a technical seminar – each contributing to the overarching objective.

About the event

Achieving transformative and sustainable development in Asia requires a balanced and integrated approach to economic, social, and environmental objectives—an approach central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aligned with regional frameworks such as the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. The Sustainable Development Goals recognize international trade and investment as key drivers of inclusive growth and sustainable development. In Asia, dynamic trade flows and investment linkages have contributed significantly to poverty reduction and economic progress.

Equally central is the promotion of decent work, as reflected in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without guaranteeing decent work for all. Aligning trade and labour market policies to foster inclusive growth, protect workers’ rights, and support equitable development is therefore essential to realizing global and regional goals. For the ILO in Asia and the Pacific, the Bali Declaration of 2016 highlights “that action to promote decent work fosters inclusive growth and social justice, stimulates economic dynamism and innovation, and drives sustainable development.”

The event on trade, investment and decent work in Indonesia is an integral part of stakeholder engagement activities under the joint ILO project: “Trade and investment arrangements: Implementation and stakeholder engagement for promoting decent work (IMPLEMENT)” and “Trade free from discrimination and child labour (REALGAINS)”.

A joint seminar with the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs aim to involve ILO constituents in practical dialogue on how trade and investment policies can affect decent work and sustainable development.
The overall objective of the event is to advance stakeholder engagement on trade and labour issues by examining national experiences, identifying implementation gaps and opportunities related to the integration of international labour standards and trade, and generating context-specific insights that will inform evidence-based research and contribute to the sharing of best practices.

The event will be structured around two core components – national-level tripartite consultations and a technical seminar – each contributing to the overarching objective. Key activities will include:

Two days, Stakeholder consultations and interviews, which will serve as a platform for in-depth dialogue, allowing participants to expand on findings from a previously implemented survey on Trade and Decent Work, by sharing additional insights and diverse perspectives. These consultations will support the identification of common challenges, gaps, and opportunities related to trade and labour across sectors and constituencies.

One day, Tripartite seminar on the effective integration of international labour standards (ILS) and trade, aimed at fostering dialogue on current practices, policy gaps and emerging trends within the national context.
The events are jointly organized by the ILO Research Department, the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the ILO Country Office for Indonesia and Timor-Leste (the IMPLEMENT and REALGAINS projects) and Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The total number of participants of each event will be limited to 30.