Statement by Marina Elvira Calderone, Minister of labour and social policies (Italy), Plenary session of the International Labour Conference

Mr President,
Dear Director-General,
Distinguished Delegates,
Dear colleagues,

It is with renewed responsibility and deep trust in the mission of the International Labour Organization that I take the floor at today’s session of this International Labour Conference.

We meet at a historical moment marked by complex and interconnected challenges: a time of armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, technological transformations, climate change, and growing inequalities. We are facing deep anxieties and uncertainties, as rightly highlighted by the Director-General in his report on “Jobs, rights and growth: Reinforcing the connection.”

The report offers a clear and courageous analysis. The link between growth, employment and rights is under strain: millions of people feel excluded from the benefits of development and voiceless in decision-making processes.

In this context, where each country must do its part to build a dignified future for present and future generations, Italy strongly reaffirms the centrality of work as an essential foundation for social justice and peace.

As the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, reminded us just a few days ago:
“Peace is not an ideal for naive souls, only to be shattered by the harsh verdict of history. Peace is a lived experience, patiently built by far-sighted statesmen: we must continue their work. We cannot — and must not — simply invoke it.”

I believe the response to the dilemmas of our times lies in an integrated approach: political, economic and social initiatives must move coherently, putting the human being at the centre.

Such an approach requires taking into account diverse needs and vulnerabilities. Promoting the labour market inclusion of the most vulnerable groups is a key priority for Italy.

I would also like to dedicate a thought to the World Day Against Child Labour, which we will observe tomorrow. It is unacceptable that millions of girls and boys are still denied their right to childhood, education, and protection. No progress will be genuine as long as children are forced to work at an early age and in exploitative conditions.

Italy is also strongly committed to ensuring occupational health and safety, tackling undeclared work, and promoting the transition from informality to formality — a theme under discussion during this Conference.

A crucial debate currently underway concerns decent work on digital platforms. The Italian Government believes that digital transformations can generate valuable opportunities — provided they are accompanied by appropriate measures for enterprises and workers, and guided by an ethical, responsible, safe and human-centred approach. These principles are reflected in our Action Plan on Artificial Intelligence and the World of Work, adopted during our G7 Presidency last year. The Plan may serve as a shared reference at global level for the governance of new technologies, rooted in rights and inclusion.

Continuous and inclusive training is a key pillar in supporting the current transitions and ensuring that all workers can face them with the right skills.

We are proud of the role played by the International Training Centre of the ILO, based in Turin, which contributes to the multilateral system, as well as to governments and social partners worldwide. We look forward to the Centre’s expansion and further strengthening.

Let me conclude, dear colleagues, by highlighting two of the ILO’s greatest assets, which must continue to guide its work — particularly in light of the profound structural reflections currently underway across the United Nations system.

I refer to the standard-setting mandate of the Organization — a unique and valuable element that allows for the promotion of concrete and universal protection of workers’ rights — and to social dialogue, which lies at the heart of the ILO’s work. This provides a space for genuine and constructive exchange, capable of generating shared and lasting solutions, and of strengthening a value that is more essential than ever for the international community: mutual trust in conditions of respect and equality.

Thank you, and I wish you all fruitful work.

• Video-recording of the statement on ILO-Live