a meeting with UN officials and trade union leaders

Workers organizations

UN, trade unions forge stronger partnership for decent work and sustainable development

The UN in the Philippines and trade union leaders held a dialogue on labour rights, sustainable development and a common agenda for a better future of work.

Members of the UN Country Team in the Philippines meet with trade union leaders to discuss collaborative efforts, employment challenges and future initiatives. © ILO/Minette Rimando

Members of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in the Philippines engaged in a dialogue with workers' organizations and trade union leaders.

The meeting, led by United Nations Resident Coordinator Gustavo González, underscored the vital role of trade unions in fostering development and safeguarding labour and human rights.

The discussions centred around the 15-point labour agenda, Women Workers' Agenda and the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions. Key topics included decent work, artificial intelligence, labour migration, social protection, climate change, freedom of association and rights at work.

The dialogue emphasized the importance of collaboration towards a unified agenda, marking a crucial step forward in the partnership between the UN and trade unions for sustainable development and a better future of work.

Several specific proposals and initiatives were discussed such as the:

  • establishment of a Workers’ Rights Watch mechanism to independently monitor freedom of association and labour rights-related cases,
  • review of the anti-terrorism and national security laws to avoid misuse against trade unionists and human rights defenders,
  • assessment of working conditions of agricultural and mining workers in Visayas and Mindanao,
  • strengthen frameworks on migration, business and human rights, and climate action, as well as bilateral labour agreements,
  • fight child labour, promote children's rights and ensure child-sensitive targets in the Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and ethical supply chains,
  • involve unions in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Projects and develop family-friendly worker policies,
  • implement the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) and roll out the Women Workers’ Agenda, including gender-related ILO Conventions, specifically the Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183), Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), and the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102),
  • expand the Safe Spaces Act and involve unions and women workers in crafting care economy policies, especially in the review of the Beijing Platform of Action,
  • integrate refugees, foreign workers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and help them find work in the Philippines to ensure access to decent work especially in conflict-affected areas,
  • regulate the working conditions of digital workers and review the impact of AI and automation on jobs

The dialogue was a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to strengthen the partnership between the UN and trade unions, aiming for a more inclusive and sustainable future of work under the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions.