Decision concerning the report of the Working Party on the New Social Contract for Our Common Agenda

The Governing Body:

(a) took note of the report of the Working Party on the New Social Contract for Our Common Agenda contained in document GB.353/INS/17;

(b) decided to transmit to the International Labour Conference for possible adoption at its 113th Session (2025) the draft resolution concerning the Second World Summit for Social Development prepared by the Working Party and set out in the appendix to the report, in the amended form reproduced below;

(c) instructed the Director-General:

• (i) to continue to make the necessary arrangements to ensure the full contribution of the ILO to the Summit and its follow-up, in coordination with the Working Party and the ILO's tripartite constituents;
• (ii) to take every opportunity to promote the tripartite key messages to the Summit;
• (iii) to take into account the need for the ILO to play a leading role in the follow-up to the Summit when implementing the Programme and Budget for 2026-27.

(GB.353/INS/17, paragraph 7, as amended by the Governing Body)

Draft resolution concerning the 2025 “World Social Summit” under the title “Second World Summit for Social Development”

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization, meeting in Geneva at its 113th Session, 2025,

Recalling the Declaration of Philadelphia (1944) and the key role that the ILO played in the 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen and in its follow-up, including the adoption of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998), as amended in 2022, the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization (2008), as amended in 2022, and the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work (2019),

Welcoming the decision by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to convene a World Social Summit under the title “Second World Summit for Social Development”, which is to be held in Qatar in November 2025 and represents a unique opportunity to recommit to the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action, assess the progress made, address related implementation gaps and strengthen the social dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,

Reaffirming that lasting peace can be established only if it is based on social justice, and that peace, security, human rights, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, and social justice are all essential components of social development,

Considering that the experience of the past century has confirmed that the continuous and concerted action of governments and representatives of employers and workers is essential to the achievement of social justice, democracy and the promotion of universal and lasting peace,

Underlining the significant role of the ILO in advancing the three interconnected and mutually reinforcing core themes of social development, namely the elimination of poverty, the expansion of full, freely chosen and productive employment and decent work for all, and the promotion of social integration,

Stressing the centrality of the four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda, namely employment creation, social protection, rights at work and social dialogue, in advancing social development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Acknowledging that, since 1995, inequalities in the world of work have persisted while new opportunities and challenges have emerged, including those relating to technological innovation, demographic shifts and climate change, all of which have a direct impact on social development,

Reiterating the need to address the potential social consequences arising from economic policy reforms and debt restructuring and to foster sustainable economic growth, investment and decent work creation,

Highlighting the ILO’s constitutional mandate for the promotion of decent work and social justice based on its unique tripartite constituency, its standard-setting function and its primary competence for the preparations for, conduct of and follow-up to the Summit on issues pertaining to its mandate,

Acknowledging the central role of social dialogue – both tripartite and bipartite – as a key labour market governance mechanism in reaching economically and socially balanced outcomes, and in advancing social development,

Recalling the Pact for the Future adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2024, in which Member States decided to “secure an ambitious outcome at the World Social Summit entitled ’Second World Summit for Social Development’ in 2025” and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, in 2025, which will address the urgent need to fully implement the SDGs and to support the reform of the international financial architecture,

Acknowledging the role of the ILO as the main custodian agency for Goal 8 indicators,

Recognizing the importance of greater policy coherence and international cooperation that is fully aligned with national priorities, takes account of specific national circumstances, and complements national efforts to advance social development,

Calling on all Member States to fulfil their responsibility to deliver social justice and social development through a renewed global social contract with a human-centred approach, to be developed in close consultation with employers’ and workers’ organizations,

Invites all Member States, who hold the primary responsibility for their social development, in consultation with employers’ and workers’ organizations, to:

1. Ensure the appropriate involvement of employers’ and workers’ organizations in the preparations for, conduct of, and follow-up to the Summit by:

• (a) involving these organizations in national preparations for Summit and in the implementation of its outcome;
• (b) considering the inclusion of representatives of employers' and workers' organizations as advisers in the national delegations to the Summit;
• (c) considering the practical arrangements for the effective participation of representatives of employers' and workers' organizations in the Summit;

2. Ensure that the outcome of the Summit takes full account of the tripartite key messages adopted by the Governing Body of the ILO at its 352nd Session (October–November 2024);

3. Entrust the ILO, including its tripartite constituents, to play a leading role in the implementation of the outcome of the Summit, in areas pertaining to its mandate, including with regard to:

• (a) the creation of full, productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all as a core objective of national plans, by implementing employment-friendly development strategies, including through policies leading to job-rich and inclusive economic growth;
• (b) the setting, promotion, ratification and supervision of international labour standards and, through strong, influential and inclusive mechanisms of social dialogue, the need for adequate labour protection for all workers in line with the Decent Work Agenda, including all the fundamental principles and rights at work, namely freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the effective abolition of child labour, the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, and the right to a safe and healthy working environment; a living wage in line with ILO principles; and maximum limits on working time, taking into account national circumstances;
• (c) the progressive achievement of sustainable universal social protection at an accelerated pace and in accordance with national circumstances, with a view to reaching SDG target 1.3 by 2030; [Footnote: SDG target 1.3 is to “implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable”.]
• (d) the scaling up of programmes and policies for youth employment leading to the sustainable integration of young people in the labour market, including by facilitating the transition from school-to-work and developing quality apprenticeship systems;
• (e) the improvement of skills development and the promotion of lifelong learning to enhance employability;
• (f) the promotion of an enabling environment for sustainable enterprises, including for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and entities within the social and solidarity economy;
• (g) the transition from the informal to the formal economy, including by creating the framework conditions that prevent the informalization of jobs and economic units;
• (h) the strengthening of the social dimension of policies aimed at greening the economy and the creation of decent climate-friendly work through the design and implementation of just transition plans;
• (i) the elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation, the promotion of gender equality and the inclusion of persons and groups in vulnerable situations;
• (j) the ensuring of decent working conditions for workers at higher risk of exploitation, including refugees and migrant workers;
• (k) the strengthening of labour market institutions, including both tripartite and bipartite social dialogue;
• (l) the development of care economy – including healthcare – frameworks that promote decent work for care workers and strengthen care infrastructure;
• (m) the monitoring and the shaping of the response to the opportunities and challenges brought by technological innovation to the world of work, including by drawing on the knowledge produced by the ILO Observatory on AI and Work in the Digital Economy, in alignment with relevant UN resolutions;
• (n) the promotion and implementation of comprehensive, integrated and sustainable strategies to tackle inequalities in the world of work;

4. Ensure the provision of appropriate means to implement the outcome of the Summit, including adequate levels of investments in decent work creation through the mobilization of both domestic and international resources;

5. Develop a robust framework to monitor progress on the implementation of the Summit's outcome, which takes into account national circumstances and priorities, and acknowledges the constitutional mandate and the leading role of the ILO on issues pertaining to its mandate;

6. Promote regional cooperation and the exchange of best practices between Member States in implementing the outcome of the Summit;

7. Implement the outcome of the Summit, as appropriate, with the full involvement of the social partners, and through a coordinated approach among all organizations concerned, including international financial institutions, development banks and other development agencies;

8. Collaborate through multi-stakeholder initiatives, such as the Global Coalition for Social Justice and the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, in supporting the implementation of the outcome of the Summit;

9. Ensure that the outcome of the Summit informs discussions on advancing sustainable development by 2030 and beyond.