Distinguished Ministries, delegates, workers, employers, members of unions, ladies and gentlemen,

new technologies, sharing economy, globalization are creating increasing opportunities for enterprises and make new goods and services more and more available for our citizens. But they may also open doors to increasing risks of marginalization, and exploitation in new forms. We have to tackle the challenges of the new economy not to fight trends that are positive and irreversible, but to ensure the respect of the rights of our citizens, to ensure that people continue to be at the centre of any transformation.

Italy therefore supports the initiative taken by Director General Ryder to launch a worldwide reflection on the future of work and we are extremely pleased about its recent developments and achievements.

ILO is once again proving to be a vital organization, capable to adapt to the new challenges with both flexibility and leadership. We intend to continue to actively contribute to this initiative.

Italy developed a thorough tripartite dialogue on the future of work during the last two years and the new Government is now determined to move to action. We are ready to implement concrete initiatives to address the new challenges facing the world of work and the ILO will continue to represent an important reference and guide.

A special attention should be paid to the non-standard forms of work. One of the first acts of our new Government was meeting the workers of the digital platforms and the gig economy, to discuss adjustments to the legislative framework, with a view to ensuring that these workers are granted rights and protection.

Transformations in the word of work represent a great opportunity, but can also deepen, if not properly managed, inequalities and poverty. We therefore believe that they should be accompanied with investments and macroeconomic policies, to achieve the twin objective of economic growth and employment, together with active labour market and social protection policies to redress labour market imperfections and inequalities. These latter policies feature prominent in the Government’s Programme. They include activation strategies to increase labour market participation of women, young people and disadvantaged groups such as persons with disabilities. This is in full alignment with the Goals of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, which Italy is committed to achieve both domestically and through its development cooperation programmes. Through our policy priorities, we do really want to ensure that no one will be left behind.

Among the goals that we want to achieve, the fair wage for all is a priority. We also wish to strengthen protection for self-employment and the spread of new technologies, with particular regard to smart working, to support conciliation between work and private life.

But we think that, above all, it is necessary to introduce specific measures to support our citizens facing poverty, unemployment or under employment with the provision of a basic income. What we have in mind is a social protection cum employment activation, that will help people in need to return to work and social life, and so protect their dignity and rights.

Finally, the Government of Italy intends to intensify action aimed at prevention and contrast to gender inequalities at work. We need to incentivise both good practices that avoid it, and employers who remove discriminations.

We need to support maternity with a financial help to the families, and incentives for the companies that employ mothers after the birth of their children. It is also important to improve social infrastructures and socio educational services, in particular kindergarteners.

In this contest, fight against gender violence and harassment at work is of a paramount importance. We are strongly committed to ending them. We will continue to support the adoption of international labour standards that will guide us in achieving this fundamental human rights objective, and the work of ILO Constituents at this 107th Session of the International Labour Conference. We are particularly glad that consciousness at national and international levels is growing on the need to fight together, consistently with the Objectives and targets of the 2030 Agenda.