Global Coalition for Social Justice partners step up action to turn international commitments into results

GENEVA (ILO News) – Partners of the Global Coalition for Social Justice concluded their 2026 Annual Forum with a strong call to accelerate implementation of international commitments on social justice, decent work and inclusive development, announcing a series of new commitments.

Over two days, representatives of governments, employers' and workers' organizations, international and regional organizations, development banks, businesses, academia and civil society shared concrete initiatives and identified opportunities for stronger collaboration at global, regional and country levels.

The Forum demonstrated the growing operational role of the Coalition, which now brings together more than 400 partners.

“The need for social justice remains immense. But we are not powerless. The Coalition has moved from building a platform to using it, and partners are increasingly driving action and owning the results,” said ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo.

From commitments to implementation

The high-level opening included addresses from Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Labour and Employment of India, Francisco Macena, Deputy Minister, on behalf of Luiz Marinho, Minister of Labour and Employment of Brazil, Jacqueline Mugo, President of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), and Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.

Speakers reflected on the progress made since the Coalition’s launch, with a common emphasis on building on these foundations to translate political commitments and dialogue into increasingly partner-driven action and concrete results.

“As Brazil concludes this stage of its role as Co-Chair of the Coalition’s Coordinating Group, we look with pride at what we have built together. The Coalition has built its foundations. Now, its next phase must increasingly be driven by its partners,” said Francisco Macena, Deputy Minister, on behalf of Luiz Marinho, Minister of Labour and Employment of Brazil.

From the employers’ perspective, Jacqueline Mugo, President of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), emphasized the Coalition’s potential to connect experience and expertise with practical challenges:

“Let us use [the Coalition] to identify what works, connect the right actors around real problems, and turn dialogue into implementation. If we can do that, the Coalition will become more than a platform for exchange. It will become a practical vehicle for progress.”

The importance of this cooperation ultimately translating into tangible improvements for people was highlighted by Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation:

“We want cooperation that reaches beyond institutional boundaries. And we want results that working people can see in their lives. You can count on the trade union movement to play its part.”

Reflecting the Coalition’s model of bringing together partners with different mandates and expertise around shared priorities, partners from all categories presented progress, made new commitments and announced initiatives across the Coalition’s Key Interventions, including:

• The Government of the Republic of the Congo, a pilot country under the Coalition’s work on inequalities and poverty, indicated progress on employment and training policies, labour-code reform, and occupational safety and health and social protection in agricultural supply chains.
• The Government of Germany highlighted a €47 million contribution in support of the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, continued support for the Living Wages Key Intervention, including country-level work in Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire and Colombia, and presented an AI-related labour-inspection tool.
• The Government of Finland announced that it is joining the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), strengthening international cooperation on equal pay and gender equality.
• The Adecco Group presented its initiative to provide AI literacy training for approximately 80,000 employees and highlighted opportunities to strengthen collaboration on skills and worker-centred technological transformation through the AI for Social Impact Key Intervention.
• The League of Arab States announced a high-level regional conference in Jordan in November 2026 to follow up on the Doha Political Declaration, addressing social justice, multidimensional poverty and disability, and aligning with the Coalition’s Key Interventions.
• The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) highlighted joint ILO–OHCHR country-level implementation, including planned training in Kenya to strengthen national accountability mechanisms alongside labour-law reform, and work in Uzbekistan applying a human rights approach to public budgeting. It also offered its knowledge hub, tools and evidence to support the Coalition’s work.
• Academic partners, represented by the Geneva Graduate Institute, Stellenbosch University and the University of Panama, highlighted the role of research and evidence in implementation, calling for stronger links between research and policy and offering practical tools and expertise to support Coalition action.

Looking ahead

Discussions also looked ahead to the Coalition’s role in supporting the implementation of the Doha Political Declaration, while contributing practical experience to forthcoming discussions on the development framework beyond 2030.

As India assumes the chairmanship of the Coalition’s Coordinating Group, Minister of Labour and Employment Dr Mansukh Mandaviya called for the Coalition’s next phase to focus increasingly on implementation and measurable results:

“As Co-Chair, I would like all of us to advance three priorities: translate collective commitments into action at the country level; intensify cooperation and knowledge-sharing; and ensure that social justice informs the choices that will shape development beyond 2030.”

The Annual Forum concluded with a call for partners to deepen their contributions to the Coalition’s Key Interventions, share knowledge and practical experience, develop new collaborative initiatives and mobilize their expertise, networks and resources around nationally defined priorities.