Day 2 - Social justice coalition forum: Second panel and closing
Agencies, Funds & Programmes
Date: 17 September 2026
Language: English
Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/asset/k10/k10sc0dncc
Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations.

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Moderator · Sana [21:33]:

All right. Excellencies, distinguished speakers, partners and colleagues, welcome to the second day of the 2026 Annual Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice. Before we begin, a practical reminder, simultaneous interpretation is available in the six official language of the United Nations, so please select your preferred language through the interpretation menu on the platform. So, dear partners, yesterday's discussions provided a rich start to the forum, bringing together a wide range of perspectives and valuable exchanges on how we can advance social justice together. And today, our focus turns to the implementation. How international commitments on social development and social justice can translate into practical action, and how cooperation through the coalition can help accelerate that process. We will begin with a panel looking specifically at the implementation of the Doha Political Declaration and the wider international agenda for social justice. I'm very pleased to hand over to a facilitator of this discussion, Mr. Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary General in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Mr. Hanif, thank you for being here and the floor is yours.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [23:02]:

Thank you so much. It's an honor to be part of this conversation, and I'm delighted to join the honorable ministers and moderate this conversation. So I just would like to make a few quick points in framing the conversation before we request the keynote speaker. The Doha Political Declaration that we adopted last November, and I want to thank our host country, Qatar, for hosting the meeting, it has renewed our commitment to poverty eradication. to decent employment for all. and of course social inclusion. It's it's a welcome political message. I also want to begin with good news because nowadays what all here is nothing but source of anxiety from climate change to economic insecurity. to demographic pressures. When we held the first social summit in 1995, 30% of the world's population lived in poverty. Now it's only 9% in absolute poverty. We have also made progress in other areas also, maternal mortality, children mortality under five. So health indicators have improved, not as much as we wanted them to, So we are making progress, yet the lived experience of people has not improved. We, our World Social Report, we ran a survey, and this was very striking that people still feel that when we compare from the last 15 years, it's either the same or they're worse off. So we have a challenge here in the face of climate shocks, economic shocks, conflict and persistent inequalities. So we need to really commit ourselves to implementing the Doha Political Declaration. So I want to invite our first speaker, Honorable Minister, His Excellency, Mr. Ali bin Said bin Samik Al-Mari, Minister of Labor of the State of Qatar, as I mentioned, our host country, who is deeply committed to advancing social development and social justice, which is far more systemic intervention than just pursuing social development. Mr. Minister, we are delighted to have you, and I'm honored that you will be setting the stage with your keynote address for our conversation that will follow. And then I will introduce the panelists also after the keynote. Minister, over to you.


Qatar · Minister of Labor · Ali bin Said bin Samik Al-Mari [25:53]:

Thank you very much, Navid. Thank you very much for all our colleagues. If you allow me, I will speak in Arabic.


Interpreter [26:12]:

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. The interpreters would like to note that the sound is poor and we are unable to provide interpretation.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [26:28]:

Mr. Minister, sorry to interrupt you. The interpreters cannot hear you, so they cannot provide the interpretation. If you could please speak closer to the microphone or raise the volume.


Qatar · Minister of Labor · Ali bin Said bin Samik Al-Mari [26:40]:

Are you hearing me now?


Interpreter [26:41]:

It's okay.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [26:42]:

Interpreters, please confirm. Can you hear the Minister? Can you hear him now, please? Minister, if she could say a few words.


Qatar · Minister of Labor · Ali bin Said bin Samik Al-Mari [26:54]:

Yes, can you hear me now, please?


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [26:56]:

Yeah, the interpreters, please.


Interpreter [27:00]:

The interpreters will try. Thank you.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [27:02]:

Yeah, please go ahead, Minister.


Qatar · Minister of Labor · Ali bin Said bin Samik Al-Mari [27:04]:

Yes, yes, yes, sorry, It's.

My pleasure to take part today in this global coalition for social justice annual forum. I'd like to thank the ILO for inviting me to participate. I'd also like to thank the ILO for all of its efforts in cooperation with its different partners in order to promote social justice, in order to devote the issue of decent work to the social justice program. We're facing a period, or we're in a period where we need to agree on commitments that we can implement to have real impact on people's lives. The success of our action, our multilateral action, doesn't just relate to the adoption of texts and documents, but rather it relates to our capacity to implement our commitments through policies and partnerships which can lead to tangible results excellencies ladies and gentlemen the state of Qatar had the honor of hosting the second World Summit for social development in November 2025 the summit was ended with the adoption of the Doha Political Declaration. So, we renewed our international commitment to eradicating poverty and to promoting complete and decent work for everyone. We also committed to working towards social justice, which is a key pillar for social stability. The General Assembly of the United Nations supported the Political Declaration. The Doha Declaration reflected international will to work to guarantee social justice, and it's now up to us to turn these commitments or to renew our international commitments while implementing policies that guarantee the necessary resources to implement the commitments. We need real partnerships between governments, employers and workers' organizations, international organizations and all stakeholders. It's also necessary that our renewal of commitments can be followed up to assess its impact. This needs to become a reality. And we need to be able to assess the efforts undertaken. Therefore, it's important that we focus and emphasize the role of the Global Coalition. It will enable us to make partnerships, international partnerships, a reality. and to turn their impact into a reality at the various international, national and regional levels, it's important to support the implementation of the Doha Political Declaration. The State of Qatar joined the coalition in November 2025. We were indeed convinced of the importance of multilateral efforts and the need to work to guarantee decent work for all. This international action must also be reflected at the national level. In Qatar, we're working to develop the labor market and we're looking to invest in human resources and to support social dialogue in cooperation with the ILO within the framework of the third period for the Technical Cooperation Program 2025 to 2028. Ladies and gentlemen, our world at the moment is seeing very rapid development, technological progress, artificial intelligence, climate and demographic changes, which also go hand in hand with profound changes in the labor market and production mechanisms. It's therefore necessary that social justice is an integral part of economic and social policy. Our mission, our shared mission, is therefore not just to ensure work, but to ensure decent work for all. It's also necessary that the fruits of this work can be shared amongst all. It's necessary to build capacities of citizens in order to combat future changes and to withstand them. This is a starting point that we can turn into our shared, or rather we can build on through our shared responsibility. The coalition can play a key role here by leveraging partnerships, and policies, we can exchange expertise, and we can align policies and action on the ground. The State of Qatar will continue its efforts alongside the ILO and all members of the coalition in order to guarantee the implementation of the Doha Political Declaration so that we can reach a more just and equitable and inclusive social climate. We're sure that social justice is a key pillar of sustainable progress and prosperity in our societies and around the world. The political declaration also mentions this principle. We wish this forum every success and I thank you.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [33:42]:

Thank you, Mr. Minister, for setting the stage, your eloquent remarks. And I really like the line, declarations don't mean anything unless we implement them, unless we make a difference in people's lives. And this coalition has a critical role in advancing the objectives that were adopted in Doha. Thank you so much. Now, let me introduce the distinguished panelists very briefly, and then we will start our conversation. So we have the honorable minister, Mister Colin E Jordan, Minister of Labor, Social Security, and third sector in Barbados. Minister, welcome. Then we have state secretary, Miss Lillian Sean, Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Germany. Welcome. Then we have Miss Catherine Roman, executive director of the Global Apprenticeship Network. We call it GAN Global. Then we have Mister the trade union congress of Namibia. And then Mister Mario Nava, Director General, Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion of the European Commission. Almost every constituency is represented on this panel. So I think I should not delay the conversation. So distinguished panelists, there will be three rounds of comments, but I would encourage you to be interactive even with each other. First is what you are doing as a government official or a president of labor or a think tank commission in advancing the objectives of the Doha Political Declaration. Second round will be about how can this coalition help you in accelerating what you're already doing or additional thing that you would like to do. And third is your one call for action that you want this community to know and pursue. So let me begin with Minister Jordan. Minister, Barbados has been taking important steps to advance just transitions. I think Prime Minister Mia Mottley is very vocal on those issues. And the social and solidarity economy, from the perspective of a small island developing state, Why are these priorities urgent? And how can you think coalition help translate this into faster progress? Mr. Jordan, over to you.


Barbados · Minister of Labor, Social Security and Third Sector · Colin E Jordan [36:18]:

Thank you very much, Naveed.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [36:19]:

Sorry, I want to mention three minutes. Sorry, I forgot to mention that. First introduction, three minutes. Thanks.


Barbados · Minister of Labor, Social Security and Third Sector · Colin E Jordan [36:26]:

Okay, thank you very much. I was happy to have been part of the discussion in Doha last November. With that, declaration recognizes the particular challenges faced by six small and developing states. Now, of particular importance to Barbados, paragraphs 13 and 36, which connect social development with climate action. And I'm going to focus on those because they speak to the need for international cooperation as a means for implementation. Now, our priorities are informed by our vulnerabilities. and the development trajectory that we wish to maintain. For Barbados, this makes just transition a central implementation priority. We want to ensure that the transition toward a greener, more resilient economy does not leave workers and appraises or communities behind. This means connecting climate ambition with decent work, skill development, social protection, social dialogue, and even new economic opportunities.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [37:32]:

Minister, Minister, we are losing you. Your voice is not coming through. Please speak closer to the microphone. Sorry to interrupt you.


Barbados · Minister of Labor, Social Security and Third Sector · Colin E Jordan [37:39]:

Okay. I'm sorry about that. I'm not sure if you hear me any better now.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [37:43]:

There is echo in the room. Maybe something. If you could kindly.


Barbados · Minister of Labor, Social Security and Third Sector · Colin E Jordan [37:50]:

Okay. I only have one device on. Okay. Should I try again?


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [38:01]:

Please go ahead. Please go ahead, Minister.


Barbados · Minister of Labor, Social Security and Third Sector · Colin E Jordan [38:04]:

Yes, okay. So I indicated that our priorities are informed by our vulnerabilities and our development trajectory, or that the trajectory that we wish to maintain. And so that makes just transition a central implementation priority for us. And we have to connect climate ambition with decent work, skills development, social protection, social dialogue, and all the other issues that come along with development coming out of just transition. Barbados' leadership in the just transition in international advisory body of the global coalition is part of that activity. Now, it is important that we have opportunities to share policies, practical experience, and expertise. What happened in other countries to adopt approaches to their own circumstances, approaches that suit their circumstances. This is particularly important for us as SIDS. We do not need to reinvent every solution, but neither can we simply import models designed for much larger economies. We need access to knowledge, access to technology, finance, expertise, all of this that can be adopted or adapted to our circumstances. The Global Coalition can help Barbados and other states build partnerships around green and blue jobs, skills for emerging sectors, social protection during economic and climate transitions, and effective participation of workers, employers, and communities in transition planning. A second priority is substantive equality. And for us, that means moving beyond equality in law to equality in outcomes. So that Barbados's decision to join EPIC is an important practical expression of this commitment, and it responds directly, really, to the Doha Declaration and its emphasis on women's economic empowerment, equal opportunity, and equal pay for work of equal value. Now, while Barbados does not have a gender pay gap, Through EPIC and the Global Coalition, Barbados can strengthen its framework for non-discrimination, as well as serve as an example and an inspiration to other countries. Barbados is also in the process of drafting equal pay legislation as part of its efforts to safeguard the gains that it has already made. The third area quickly is the social and solidarity economy. Barbados' participation in the Group of Friends of the social and solidarity economy reflects our understanding that social justice cannot be delivered by government alone. Can't. Cooperatives, social enterprises, community organizations, and other SSC actors can create livelihoods, strengthen communities, and build resilience. And for a small island economy, those contributions are particularly viable and valuable. The Global Coalition can add real value by helping to translate those priorities into implementation partnerships. The opportunity is to move beyond international dialogue and connect Barbados with partners that can help turn those commitments into programs and then measurable results. So I see three immediate opportunities for collaboration. First, developing and financing a SIDS-oriented approach to just transitions, second, Strengthening action to remove structural barriers to substantive pay equality. And third, using SSC more deliberately as a vehicle for employment creation, inclusion, community resilience, and sustainable development. These could be advanced through technical cooperation, peer learning, South-South and triangular cooperation, financing partnerships, as well as access to international expertise. And the Doha Declaration provides the political commitment. The Global Coalition provides the platform for partnership. And so initiatives such as a just transition policy gateway, EPIC, the Group of Friends of the SSC, they all provide practical entry points for implementation. The challenge now is how to ensure that we move these commitments and reach the workplaces, the communities, and households. For Barbados, social justice must ultimately be measured not simply by declarations but by whether people experience better opportunities, greater security, greater equality, and a stronger voice in the future that we want to build together. Thank you very much.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [42:59]:

Thank you, Minister Jordan. You have articulated the concerns of CIRC very well. Customized solutions. Do not expect them to just import solutions which are not meant for them. And yes, finance, technology, know-how, peer learning. Thank you. And now our next speaker, you have given me a segue when I go to the state secretary from Germany. Germany is already working on living wages, social dialogue, and socially just transitions. How do these commitments fit together in Germany's broader social justice agenda because Germany has been a very vocal advocate of SDGs and a very active player on the global scene. And where can this coalition also help to Germany nationally and also globally playing a role in advancing the objectives of social justice. Sir Secretary over to you.


Germany · State Secretary · Lillian Sean [43:58]:

Thank you very much dear Navi Thani for your kind introduction and presentation. Hello from Berlin. And first of all, I would like to extend my congratulations to the ILO and its Global Coalition for Social Justice Initiative on its successful work. And I would like to thank all staff members for their hard work. Dear distinctive audience, dear ministers and colleagues, I would like to focus on our engagement for the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transition. As a global community, we have set ambitious goals to close the social protection coverage gap by 2030. This requires collective action, and that is why Germany invests in global partnerships in social protection. Our multi-stakeholder Global Accelerator Partnership initiative exemplifies this effort directly contributing to the ILO-led Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection and the Global Coalition for Social Justice to expand at full coverage. Germany has provided 47 million euro in support to the multi-stakeholder Global Accelerator. Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come. And therefore, we are proud to be a strong supporter of the new ILO living wage program. Living wages are necessary to combat poverty, uphold human rights, and ensure a decent standard of living for workers and their families. And as we hope, living wages help bringing forth decent working conditions in global supply chains. We are very happy to see that the concept has also been enshrined in the Doha Declaration. We are working together with like-minded countries, such as Netherlands and Belgium, for example, and we are focusing on strengthening wage-setting institutions and mechanisms in the agricultural sectors in Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire, and Colombia. The third strong action that I would like to mention is the Just Transition Call to Action Initiative. Over two years ago, we launched our joint call to action at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference. calling for stronger social partner participation to promote a socially just and inclusive structural transformation. Structural transformation can only succeed if decent jobs are created and people are placed at the center of the process. Together with the ILO, we reached an important milestone this year by launching the Just Transition Policy Gateway. The platform is easily accessible, bringing together knowledge and practical experience from around the world in the area of activities dedicated to supporting the implementation of just transition policies. Most importantly, it shows that we can achieve a lot by joining forces and working together on global solutions. Last but not least, let me say a few words on artificial intelligence in the world of work. We funded the flagship AI project of the Construction Industries Workers Compensation Association in Germany. The project was created to assist labor inspectors in identifying companies that are most in need of occupational safety and health guidance. The AI system has been accessed successfully in operation since December 2023. Before labor inspectors started using AI, their accuracy rate in identifying companies that were at high risk was 35%. After starting to use AI, their accuracy rate increased to 75%, which is more than double. Our Social Security Association is very eager to share this instrument with interested partners. And this is why we brought this instrument under the umbrella of Global Coalition for Social Justice. Thank you very much for your attention.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [48:10]:

Thank you, State Secretary. I had deliberately avoided mentioning AI because every conversation starts with it, but I'm glad you mentioned it. And you have shown the positive side of it. Unfortunately, there's anxiety, there's deep concern, which are not baseless, but there are so many upsides to this as well. And thank you for capturing those. Minister Jordan, she has already given you two things they're already doing. Socially just transitions, they have a program for you. And look at the AI tool they have offered. When I come back to you, please tell us when are you approaching Germany to get these solutions that you are asking for. So this is becoming a solutions panel. Let me go to the next speaker. Ms. Robins, as I mentioned, they are working on expand quality apprenticeships. and work-based learning as pathways to skill and decent work. So actually, State Secretary mentioned AI. You know, the workers' anxiety, young people are so deeply concerned. Look at the way they treated the Google CEO at a graduation ceremony. So how are we addressing their anxieties when you give them apprenticeships, internships? Are you giving them skills to live in an economy which will be shaped by AI? So let me invite you to share your work, good work that you are doing, but how are you positioning yourself to prepare the coming generation for an AI driven world? And of course, what can the coalition do with you to address these and alleviate these concerns? Over to you, Mr.


GAN Global · Executive Director · Catherine Roman [49:49]:

Thank you so much, Mr. Nabil Hanif and esteemed panelists and members of the Global Coalition for Social Justice. It really is an honor to be here today and to have the opportunity to speak to you. The Doha Declaration recognizes that advancing social justice requires expanding opportunities for decent work. And as you just mentioned, particularly for young people. And one of the clearest commitments reflected is the need to strengthen youth employment skills development and pathways into decent work. And for GAN Global, our organization, quality apprenticeships and work-based learning are among the most practical, practical ways of turning those commitments into a reality. And so today, of course, we face a persistent paradox. We've got continuing labor shortages and skills gaps reported by employers across many, many sectors. We have youth unemployment that remains stubbornly high. As many of you are aware of the recently released ILO report, youth unemployment is still at a staggering 12.4% and you've got 257,000 individuals, million individuals who are not in employment, education or training, also known as NEET, I think as we know well. And, you know, we have the World Economic Forum estimates that due to rapidly changing technology and to your point, Chair, what has been highlighted, really top of mind is that because of changing technology, about 40% of of workers core skills are going to change by 2030, which is just it's tomorrow. And this makes transitions into work much more important than ever. So this is where quality apprenticeships really matter. And they connect, you know, learning with productive work. They help young people gain technical transferable skills and workplace experience. professional networks, recognize qualifications, and at the same time, they help to build, help employers, you know, build the workforce that they need. So it's a, the result is a much more inclusive pathway to decent work and economic participation. Back in 2023, the ILO, the International Labor Congress, approved almost unanimously ILO recommendation 208 on quality apprenticeships, and this was a landmark achievement. R208 really gives us for the first time a globally agreed upon framework that's for what quality means in practice. And because apprenticeships are, they're structured, they're inclusive, they're adequately protected, and they're linked to recognized qualifications. Most importantly, they're developed through social dialogue, which is absolutely essential. And from our perspective at GAN Global, employers are not simply beneficiaries of skills systems. Employers are implementation partners. Government establishes the policy framework, education providers deliver the theoretical learning, workers organizations ensure that there is fairness and quality, and employers provide the real world environment where skills can be applied and developed. So for more than a decade now, GAN Global has been working with multinational companies, national employer networks, governments, training providers, and international organizations to strengthen that collaboration, which we think is really fundamental here and where the coalition plays a huge role. And we consistently see that solutions can be scaled when responsibility is scaled. So we see enormous potential to work with the Global Coalition for Social Justice in three particular areas. The first is around expanding access to quality apprenticeships and work-based learning, particularly for youth who are facing barriers to employment, so underprivileged individuals, individuals who don't have access to opportunities. Second is supporting the ILO recommendation to await through practical employer guides and tools and evidence. And the 3rd is really about establishing collaboration between governments, employers and workers and education providers. So that skill systems really remain. Responsive to to labor and market needs. So, in closing, I would say, just if if the, if provided sort of the political commitment. Quality apprenticeships can help provide the implementation mechanism that can help young people because ultimately, social justice is not about creating opportunities. It's about not just about creating opportunities. It's about creating practical pathways through collaboration that allow individuals to access and to flourish these opportunities. And I can say that many of the speakers today have already reinforced the importance of collaboration and working together and reinforced the importance of continuing our ongoing work and the ongoing work of the Coalition for Social Justice. Thank you very much.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [55:08]:

Thank you so much. And I really like the way you captured the respective roles of each sector, government's role, employers' role, and what organizations like you are doing in making sure the workers learn and their rights are protected. That gives me a segue to the next speaker. But I just want to flag, I see the Doha Political Declaration as a software and this coalition's platform as the hardware to move things forward. And that's how we should be using the coalition's convening power, its ability to bring actors together and then push action forward. So our next speaker, Mr. Kavi, who had the, every speaker is important, but labor's voices, I always put them at a little higher pedestal because they are speaking for workers' rights and social dialogue. Nothing should happen without them. They should not be at the receiving end. They should be part of decision making. They should be part of policy making. So let me ask Mr. Kavi, what your organization is doing to make the voices of workers heard, to prepare them to engage in a world which will be disrupted by technology and help them acquire skills, and also make sure social protection is available when we go through this transition. Over to you.


Trade Union Congress of Namibia · Mr. Kivima [56:35]:

Thank you very much, and good afternoon to all the speakers. The declaration is a decisive win for workers, as it includes strong commitments to the priorities of the trade union movement. Among others, the role of social partners, fundamental principles and right at work, which include freedom of association, collective bargaining and social dialogue, living wages, social protections, migrant workers, right and safe guarding of workers in the digital economy. This unequal commitment to strengthen labor market institutions, social dialogue, including through promoting respect for international labor standards and workers' rights, as well as promoting, protecting, and investing in mechanisms of social dialogue, make the document a strategic advocacy tool for social development. Workers As workers, we recognize that there has been some progress. Workers have been key part of this progress achieved so far. We have contributed to shaping the following: one, supporting the development of integrated job and social protection policies through decent work and direct decent work creations, encouragement of pro-women budgeting, employment impact assessment, certainly youth employment funds, coordination of employment actions, and also formalization of a national formalization strategies. Two, we have been actively involved in ensuring sustainable financing through private public, national, and international. We are here today discussing some of the great work in Namibia with sustainable financing solutions and the advanced combined state budgeting resources supported by development partners and international finance institutions, private sector support, and progressive taxations over the financing of our roadmap in the GBS. Three, improve multilateral cooperation on jobs and social protections. I am part of the steering group of the Global Accelerator, which is mentioned on page eight, paragraph 38 of the Doha Declaration. And as a member of that, we have observed the progress as been testified. made by workers joining more than 100 representatives from past and the governments, social partners and development partners, civil society and UN agencies. This level of international collaborations has been useful in alleviating jobs and social protections agenda, as well as creating platform for mobilized finances. The social protection or development social protections is underlined by the gap analysis which has carried out in line with ILO convention 102 and together with social partners. And this has paved ways for Namibia now currently to derogate the possibility of establishing a national pension fund, I mean, non-discriminatory and based on the principles of solidarity. Two, we are looking at strengthening the social, I mean, social protection mechanisms so that we can move away from ad hoc consultation to a fundamental consultations. But all these achievements are not met without any challenges. So it's very important for us to highlight the challenges more especially in line with expanding the correlations of like-minded actors. In some discussions with my colleagues, I note that the drift towards the treatment of workers as your partners is just another way some instances, we are treated as a society. There are need to deepen the spirit of social dialogue so that at the place of the work and elsewhere. Two, the global accelerator has mirrored a general state of social dialogue across the world. Workers have not been equally involved in all countries and at all stages of the processes. This increases the risk of pushing reform that might be harmful to workers and certain segments of societies. Lastly, in terms of the challenges, workers are also concerned at the pace At the pace of some of the reforms I will carry out. Thank you very much.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [1:01:44]:

Thank you, Mr. Kivima. Sharing Namibia experiences with us and a lot can be learned from there and also flagging how ILO and the coalition can help you in accelerating these actions that you are taking at the national level. Our next speaker, Mr. Nava, who is representing the European Commission, and I must acknowledge, European Commission is an important partner of ILO and UN DESA. Your voice on poverty eradication, on fighting inequalities, on advancing social rights, quality jobs and skills, has always been a big source of inspiration and support for us at the multilateral level. So I'm glad that you have joined us, so please share with us out of these priorities, what do you think is most central to your agenda and how the coalition can help you in advancing those central pieces that you think should be pursued more vigorously? Everything is important, but some things can be prioritized. Over to you, Director General.


European Commission · Director-General · Mario Nava [1:02:50]:

Thank you very much, and good morning or good afternoon, depending where you are. First of all, I'm really very happy to be here today to represent the European Commission in this group. Second, the universal principle of social justice and solidarity is not only what brings us together today, but is also very much an integral part of the ILO constitutions and is behind the global justice. And I think it's basically in every religion, you'll find it. Pope Francis famously said not too long ago, "The true richness is not in accumulating goods, but in sharing goods." I think you may find similar sentences in different other religions. For us, social justice is not only social justice per se, it's not only if you want an act of feeling good or compassion, but social justice is part of the development. Without a decent worker, without social protection, without equal opportunities, which breaks intergenerational cycles of poverty, social justice is much worse. than what it would be, but also the development of the economy is much worse than when it would be. And that's why, and you are very generous in your words, Navid, we have embraced enthusiastically the November World Social Summit and the Doha Political Declaration. You ask, what are you doing? What are we doing? We are doing two categories of things, one internal and the other external. Internally, last May, we launched the first ever anti-poverty strategy. This was the first time that the European Union, we took the issue of poverty. In this strategy, we put decent work and social protection as the two central elements to take people out of poverty. And our strategy is really one to consider that nobody is so weak and not to be able to bring a support to the to the society. The strategy proposes also a council recommendation to fight housing exclusion. Why does so because social justice means not only ensuring that people have can access quality jobs and the work can provide a route out of poverty but because We are convinced that quality jobs and the root of poverty, so fighting unemployment, are all the same component of a very clear development route, which is the one that we want here in Europe. This is why we are now working on the Quality Job Act, which was mentioned yesterday by Ursula von der Leyen at the State of the European Union speech, and which follows the Quality Job Roadmap that we published last November. At the same time, as you know, we have a directive on adequate minimum wage that is being implemented in member states and which has already reached some pretty good results of having more countries with the minimum wages and in particular having also a higher employment rate through the magnet effect, the attracting effect of better wages into the labor market. And also the minimum wage directive foresees a minimum amount of social dialogue and that is also what happened. We launched the Union of Skills just after the coalition. And of course, we are invested in inclusive education, skills development in order to favor the green and the digital transition, which, as you know, are part of the productive model of Europe. Last but not least, we have launched the Affordable Housing Act just last week, because finding a house and finding a house which is affordable is one of the most pressing needs in Europe. All of these we are doing internally. Externally, what we have been doing is working with partners worldwide to support the multilateral system. We are putting also resources behind it. As you know very well, 58% of the ILO voluntary contributions come from the EU and from the member states. And the reason for that is that our cooperation with the ILO is very broad range. We cover a very broad range of priorities. We address the social dimension of development, be it from decent work to social protections, to skills, to unemployment, to stronger labor market institutions. We take a very holistic view of the labor market. And of course, we are convinced that the labor market has the potentiality to lift out of poverty a vast amount of people. So our partnership with the ILO translates social justice also in concrete action across different regions. To highlight just a few and without wanting to be any exhaustive, but we have few strengthened social protection in countries like Nigeria, like Lebanon, and like Angola. And promoting decent work, labor rights, social dialogue, investing in skills, a job and just transition. It's another big part of our work and advancing decent work like we've done recently in Bangladesh. is what completes the circle. So that's, Navid, where we are. We have a mixture of both internal and external action in cooperation with all of us in order to reach social justice in the world. Thank you very much.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [1:08:57]:

Thank you so much, Mr. Rava. You have given us a very nice picture of actions within the region and what you're doing globally. And thank you for quoting Pope Francis. So distinguished panelists, we are running short of time, so I will merge the second and third round and request you, let me begin with another quote from Pope Francis. He said, "We are also confronted with globalization of indifference." That indifference, which is unfortunately now gaining ground in many parts of the world, solidarity is evaporating. Unfortunately, and the European Commission's voice is very important for multilateral solutions, multilateral actions. He also, I don't have the exact quote, he also said the inequality pandemic. Is going to shake societies from their roots. So, globalization of indifference and inequality pandemic. Doha Declaration is an antidote to these two challenges. And this coalition is the vehicle to spread that antidote and fight these two pandemics of indifference and inequality. So let me begin with Minister Jordan. Minister Jordan, one take away, one thing that you would like to tweet or put on your LinkedIn from this conversation. Please share with us. And listen to the minister who said the declaration is not worth anything unless we see action. So give us one thing that you want this forum to communicate to social media and other channels. That this is what we want. From Barbados. Barbados wanted this action globally. Nationally and from ILO and from the UN. Over to you Mister Jordan. One minute. Thank you very much.


Barbados · Minister of Labor, Social Security and Third Sector · Colin E Jordan [1:11:07]:

Thank you very much, Naviva. Again, Barbados is sensitive to the fact that we are a smaller developing state, and we are also sensitive to the fact that many of our institutions, multilateral institutions and other international institutions were created before small countries like mine were states. We were colonies. The Global Coalition for Social Justice allows us a platform where political commitment can be translated into real implementation. You spoke about hardware and software. We look at it as a bridge, and we believe that the Global Coalition can act as a platform, as a bridge that allows us to make the connection so that we are in a space recently created where we can share our perspectives with the institutions that matter for us and for our development. We believe that a practical approach for us must be a states-based approach. It means then that we have to be at the table, that we have to be able to articulate our perspectives. The Global Coalition allows us to, and we are thankful to the ILO for the privilege and the opportunity to participate today. This is an example of a smaller and developing state being able to sit at the table to share experiences. And Naveed, you indicated that the state secretary, my colleague from Germany, did put some matters on the table. And we also heard from GAN with respect to the matter of apprenticeships and quality apprenticeships. And I will be asking my team here to get in contact with GAN only because we are in the process of reforming our apprenticeship system. And so this is a practical example of how we can learn from each other, how we can benefit from each other. And we have the opportunity to use this platform as that agenda setting mechanism, but also a solutions oriented mechanism. And I cannot end without saying that in this era, when we have the UNEA initiative, and when there are significant financial challenges facing the entire United Nations system, this global coalition platform allows us a cost sensitive, cost effective method of ensuring that social justice permeates decision making that social justice permeates policy making and policies. Thank you. Without, well, not just without, but while leveraging. Right. Partnerships. While leveraging relationships across the multilateral system. Right. Relationships South-South, triangular, within our own domestic institutions and institutions in other places. It allows us that space where we can have people-centered development in our countries, in our regions, and across the world.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [1:14:41]:

Thank you. Thank you so much, Minister. Sorry to rush you, but we are running out of time. That's also my duty, not a very pleasant one, but I have to perform it. So, Minister, coalition is the bridge. It is the connector. So I'm asking my local colleagues, this bridge has to be built to all institutions for six, to international financial institutions, to technology institutions, to trade institutions, for social justice. Thank you so much for giving this very clear message, a bridge and a connector. That's the role. And we already connected you with Germany and with GAN to get the solutions. Thank you. Let me go to State Secretary She has been sitting patiently. State Secretary, key takeaways that you want us to tweet on your behalf or provide on LinkedIn. Over to you.


Germany · State Secretary · Lillian Sean [1:15:31]:

Thank you very much. I would like to start and share a lot of what my colleague from Barbados already said. The foundation has been laid for good cooperation and successful exchange within the Global Coalition. It is now up to all of us to really come into action and reach the people. As a collaborative platform, the Global Coalition for Social Justice should make use of its unique setup to help accelerate the implementation of the concept of living wages by bringing in a broad range of stakeholders into the living wage initiative. We stand ready to deepen our engagement within the framework of the ILO's Living Wage Initiative. The Just Transition Policy Gateway is a great platform to further engage with. The coalition has many partners with many activities. With this, the ILO and all the partners of the Global Coalition have laid perfect ground for its common commitment. I hope that the impact of the wide range of activities carried out under the umbrella of the Global Coalition will become even clearer. If we want to achieve greater impact, we need to know exactly what we are accomplishing, what our further goals are, and where the levers are that can be set in motion to achieve them. I therefore see a new level of significance for the Global Coalition, one that empowers the ILO and its Global Coalition partners to maximize the impact of their activities. At this level, I believe there should we increase dialogue among all partners regarding the respective key interventions and how to strengthen activities. In my view, the ILO office is well suited to serve as the coordinator in this regard. And let me finish by saying, get actively involved, take part in the Global Coalition for Social Justice, support the call to action on just transition and the Global Accelerator, support the ILO in its engagement worldwide, and play an active role in shaping social justice across the globe. Thank you very much, and it was really an honor to be here with you.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [1:17:47]:

Thank you, State Secretary Shant, for a very clear message. For our participants, listeners, please join the coalition, advance its objectives. It's your platform. Everyone should own, connect, build bridges, and find solutions together. Thank you. Let me now move on to Ms. Rowan, our GAN representative, over to you.


GAN Global · Executive Director · Catherine Roman [1:18:09]:

Thank you very much. It is a really has been an honor and a pleasure to be to be here today. And I would say my call to action is quite simple. Let's move from treating skills as a policy discussion to treating skills as a shared implementation opportunities. And I can tell you that the comments made by our colleague in Barbados reinforces the fact that and the work that the Global Coalition for Social Justice is doing to connect interested parties so that we can work together to fundamentally not just talk, but actually implement change. And so, if we want to advance social justice, we must really build pathways that connect people to decent work. And I really encourage coalition partners to join forces across sectors and institutions. to work together to implement our 208 because social justice is ultimately realized through not just through commitments alone as we've as we see but also through opportunities that really change people's lives and so it's really through collaboration that we can move forward and I really welcome opportunities like the one we have had today and that we will have going forward to fundamentally make change and achieve change and have impact thank you very much


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [1:19:33]:

Thank you so much. Coalition is about changing the mindset, modifying behavior. That's what it is all about. Social justice is a state of mind and then policy and then financial resources deployed on social protection and other issues. Let me now go to Mr. Kavi Huhua. One takeaway from this conversation, over to you.


Trade Union Congress of Namibia · Mr. Kivima [1:19:57]:

Thank you very much. The one takeaway is that the coalition is able to ensure that social dialogue and decent work is embedded from the conceived stage, development stage, implementation stage and monitoring and evaluations of policies that deal with people. The coalition can and must play a key role in strengthening the social dimensions of multilateral agenda and contributing to the discussion, mapping the post-30 development agenda. We want the coalition to ensure that post-2030 agenda, I mean, make sure that the current NDCs plays a skeleton role in terms of being a working document. The coalition can play a catalytic role in bringing together actors who believe that only post 2030 agenda must put social justice at the center and are willing to commit to the principles of SDGs and social justice. Thank you very much.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [1:21:18]:

Thank you for your very precise messages for the coalition, but you are the coalition, all of us have to work together. to make sure coalition advances social justice. Last but not the least, Director General Naba, over to you.


European Commission · Director-General · Mario Nava [1:21:35]:

One minute is a challenge as I think social justice is a task to deliver economic growth that benefits to all. And especially if you have to choose a category to those in need. And I think in that respect, the global coalition could really help. to all of us share best practices, we have all of us very good practices, we have all of us facing problems. I think it could help us to jointly find answers, which does not mean that all the answers are identical. Of course, answer may be different from one to the other, but by jointly finding answers, we will learn much more. So to me, that is what the coalition is. And you are very right, Navid, when you say, It's your coalition. The coalition is what we make of it. Thank you.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [1:22:25]:

Director General, I like the precision. Thank you so much. Colleagues, I also will confine to a minute or make 90 seconds. That's all. Look, and sustainable, and I want to thank you, honorable panelists, an honor to be with you and your messages, very eloquent, precision, and commitment to act. What we have witnessed, and it's since 2015, even before that, Social development has been the weakest pillar of sustainable development. Economic is always at the forefront. Environment has made progress because of commitment of many activists to advance it. This is our chance to make social pillars stronger in the sustainable development conversation. And to make it stronger, we have to change the mindset. Social development should not be an afterthought for the macroeconomic policymakers, financial decisions. So my request is this coalition, and I always say social development is policy work and political work. Social justice is systemic work. If you change the system, the mindset, the way we think. One informational, DESA has produced a report called New Economics of Social Inclusion, which we are launching on 16th October to rethink how social inclusion is conceived in national policy making. So this information I had to do it because to show you that we are also trying to work on shifting mindsets. Let me sum it up. Coalition is the hardware, it's the bridge, it's the connector which brings all of us together. It's our coalition. Let's use it in everyday work that we are doing to advance the social justice agenda and connect with each other to share solutions and work together to make collective impact. Impact is what citizens are looking for because their lived experiences have to improve and that should be our objective. Thank you so much for your engagement and your continued work with the coalition. Thanks to my ILO colleagues for the outstanding arrangement for this panel and their work and their tireless efforts to advance social justice. Thank you, everyone, and good day.


European Commission · Director-General · Mario Nava [1:24:47]:

Thank you very much.


UN DESA · Assistant Secretary-General · Navid Hanif [1:24:49]:

Bye-bye.


Moderator · Sana [1:24:50]:

Thank you.


Germany · State Secretary · Lillian Sean [1:24:51]:

Bye-bye.


Barbados · Minister of Labor, Social Security and Third Sector · Colin E Jordan [1:24:52]:

Thank you.


Moderator · Sana [1:24:53]:

Thank you.


Trade Union Congress of Namibia · Mr. Kivima [1:24:54]:

Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Thank you.


Moderator · Sana [1:24:57]:

Thank you, Navi. Thank you, all panelists.


Speaker 51 [1:25:00]:

Thank you very much.


Moderator · Sana [1:25:04]:

I'm really glad and thank you for sharing and guiding this very rich break moderator, all panelists for their valuable contributions and predictions. We are both honored by this and committed. So I've heard three themes in particular stand out from this discussion, implementation, collaboration, bringing this dimension together, connecting perspectives, and identifying areas for greater coherence and opening dialogue into practical avenues collaboration, routine social dialogue, these are the art of the coalition added value. So the insights and proposals shared today will be definitely captured as part of the follow up and will help us to inform the coalition's work going forward, ensuring that these exchanges contribute to a broader and ongoing process. So building on this discussion, we will now turn our partner spotlight session to our spotlight session, sorry, where we hear directly from coalition partners about concrete contributions, lessons learned, new commitments, and opportunities for collaboration. I would like to thank all our distinguished ministers and partners. And before we hear from them, let me invite you to watch a short video introducing the Global Coalition for Social Justice.


Video narration [1:26:40]:

In a world of rapid economic, social, and environmental transformation, we turn to a shared compass: social justice.

That's the mission of the.

Global Coalition for Social Justice, a collaborative platform uniting hundreds of partners committed to advance sustainable development through concrete actions. Because only through social justice can we achieve lasting peace. And only together can we shape a future built on shared prosperity. Backed by key political commitments, including the Doha Declaration, coalition partners work together to turn international commitments into action through key interventions. Reducing inequalities by implementing national pilot programs, by promoting gender pay equity, and supporting the transition to formality. Promoting living wages for workers and their families to meet their essential needs. Harnessing the potential of AI for social impact through observatories, capacity building, and practical solutions. Ensuring no one is left behind through the global accelerator that supports the creation of decent jobs and the extension of social protection to people who are excluded. Advancing the Partnership for Cotton, a proven model for sustainable, equitable supply chains by improving work, skills and livelihoods in five countries in Africa. Encouraging responsible business conduct to contribute positively to sustainable, inclusive growth and decent work. Promoting a human rights economy to help countries shape policies and meet the international commitment they have voluntarily made. Integrating just transition and social dialogue into national climate policies and plans. In a time of disruption and change, we have made a bold choice. to champion a renewed era of multilateralism rooted in social justice, centered on people's needs. Because every voice matters, every action counts. Let's advance social justice for everyone, everywhere.


Moderator · Sana [1:29:03]:

So after this presentation, it is now my pleasure to introduce our first speaker, Mr. Denis Machuel, Chief Executive Officer of the Adecco Group. He will be followed by the Minister of Employment and Labor of the Republic of Korea. Mr. Machuel, you have the floor.


Adecco Group · Chief Executive Officer · Denis Machuel [1:29:20]:

Hello, everyone. For all of us at the Adecco Group, making a positive social impact on the world of work is not a side activity. It is central to who we are and what we do. We do this because we believe It is the right thing to do, and it also makes business sense. Every day, our clients, our candidates, and our associates trust us to provide decent, fair, and compliant workforce solutions and employment opportunities. Our first responsibility is to create impact through our core business of helping people find meaningful work, develop new skills, navigate career transitions, and adapt to a rapidly changing labor market. Sustainable employment, inclusion, and responsible business practices are at the heart of our approach. At the same time, we recognize that some of the biggest challenges facing society requires focused action. This is why we have concentrated our efforts on three key areas. First, AI skilling. AI is the biggest disruption to the world of work since the internet. We want to ensure that access to AI skills is not limited to a fortunate few. Success in AI requires that people are taken along. AI has to happen with people and not to people. We work to ensure AI literacy and skills development are accessible at scale, helping workers build the capabilities they need to thrive in an AI-driven economy. Second, inclusion. Too many talented people still face barriers to employment. We are working to tackle structural inequalities in hiring and career progression by promoting fair and inclusive recruitment practices. Our goal is simple, to expand access to opportunity and ensure that people are assessed for their potential, skills, and capabilities. Third, economic mobility. We know that access to skills, quality jobs, meaningful livelihoods, and career development can transform lives. Through training, upskilling, reskilling, and career transition support, we help people build sustainable careers and improve their economic prospects. By creating pathways into employment and supporting workforce transitions, we contribute to stronger communities and more resilient economies. But no organization can solve these challenges alone. That is why we strongly believe in the power of partnerships and networks. Progress happens when governments, employers, workers, international organizations, and civil society come together around shared goals. And for us at the Adecco Group, engaging in initiatives and programs with partners to co-create our future world of work fills us with pride. We are honored to be engaged at the global level in the ILO Global Coalition for Social Justice since its inception in 2023. Its raison d'etre embodies what we stand for. It creates a platform for collaboration, for exchanging ideas, and for learning from one another. It reminds us that social justice is not the responsibility of any single organization. It is a collective effort. We want to lead the human side of AI transformation. And together, we can build a future of work that is more inclusive, more resilient and more equitable. Work to focus on those who face the biggest barriers has never been more important. Thank you.


Moderator · Sana [1:34:09]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Machuel. I have the honour today to moderate this ministerial session that we are starting now. We will travel a bit, that's the positive aspect of being fully virtual. We will move from Switzerland now to Seoul, Korea, and we will hear from Mr. Yeonhong Kim, Minister of Employment and Labour of the Republic of Korea. He will be followed by the Minister of Labour and Employment of Nigeria. Minister Kim, you have the.


Republic of Korea · Minister of Employment and Labour · Young-hoon Kim [1:34:41]:

Honourable partners of the ILO Global Coalition for Social Justice, I am Young-hoon Kim, Minister of Employment and Labour of the Republic of Korea. Thank you for inviting me to this meaningful occasion where we come together to share the values and vision of the Global Coalition in promoting social justice and decent work. I'd like to share the Republic of Korea's efforts and experiences in ensuring that AI and digital transformation create better jobs and new opportunities for all. AI is rapidly reshaping industries and the world of work. It offers opportunities to enhance productivity and create new industries and jobs. At the same time, it is transforming the nature of work, requiring workers to acquire new skills and competencies while presenting new challenges to labour markets. Ultimately, the future we face will depend not on AI technologies themselves, but on how we respond to the AI-driven transition. As we pursue innovation with confidence, we must ensure that its benefits are shared fairly among workers and all members of society. The burdens and risks arising from this transformation should be borne collectively by society, rather than falling on only a few. Above all, no one should be left behind. This is the vision of great industrial transformation with labor, the human-centered AI transformation that the Korean government is committed to pursuing. To achieve this vision, we're advancing our policies in three key directions. First, workers must participate in the process of transformation. AI and industrial transformation are shared challenges that cannot be addressed by the efforts of any single stakeholder alone. In particular, transformation will be fairer and more sustainable when workers who are directly affected by these changes participate. The Korean government will continue to promote social dialogue to address issues arising from AI transformation, including labor market disparities and employment challenges facing future generations, while laying the foundation for a renewed social contract. Second, technological transformation must create new opportunities. The government is helping everyone make effective use of AI and emerging technologies, expanding access to vocational training and providing continuous opportunities to acquire new skills throughout the transition. In particular, we're committed to helping young people become leaders in emerging industries and the world of work. We will strengthen step-by-step support so that they can make a smooth transition into the labor market through work experience and training while continuing to develop their skills and careers after employment. Third, we will provide strong protection for workers in all forms of employment throughout the process of transformation. We will closely monitor changes in employment trends resulting from industrial transformation, strengthen protections for vulnerable workers, and respond proactively to ensure employment security. Furthermore, we are reinforcing our institutional framework and social safety net to safeguard fundamental rights and provide essential protections for workers in new forms of employment, including platform work. Distinguished partners of the Global Coalition, AI transformation is not the challenge of any one country alone. To ensure that technological advancement does not widen gaps between countries or social groups, but instead leads to decent work and social protection, international solidarity and cooperation are more important than ever. The Republic of Korea remains firmly committed to these efforts. Through the Korea ILO Partnership Programme, we support ILO member states in strengthening employment and labour institutions, enhancing their capacity to implement international labour standards, and expanding job creation and social protection for a just transition. Through the Global AI Hub, one of our key priority initiatives, we hope to actively share Korea's policy experiences and achievements in AI transformation with the international community, including the ILO. Together, we will strengthen international solidarity and cooperation so that AI and technological innovation advance social justice and create decent work for all. We look forward to building a future in which technological progress becomes human progress, and no one is left behind in the process. Thank you.


Moderator · Sana [1:39:20]:

Thank you so much, Minister. And I'm honored to be again the moderator as I'm surrounded by ministers that you will all see one after the other. We will keep traveling from Seoul to Abuja, as I'm pleased to invite Mr. Muhammad Magaji Dingyadi, Minister of Labor and Employment of Nigeria. And he will be followed by the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Moldova. Minister Dingay Adgie, you have the floor.


Nigeria · Minister of Labor and Employment · Muhammad Magaji Dingyadi [1:39:59]:

Thank you very much, Chairperson, Director General of International Labour Organization, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, social partners, ladies and gentlemen.


Moderator · Sana [1:40:11]:

I'm so sorry, Minister, to interrupt you, but it seems that we cannot see you. The video is off. So maybe we will let you just with your team to fix it and we will come back in a couple of minutes, if you don't mind. We would love to see you, Minister. So we will let your team maybe try to find a solution. I saw you in the waiting room, so I'm sure we're going to fix it. So I will maybe move directly to Minister Natalia Plugaru, Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Moldova. Very glad to see you, Minister. And she will be followed by the Minister of Labour of Nigeria or Cyprus, if needed. Minister Plugaru, you have the floor.


Republic of Moldova · Minister of Labour and Social Protection · Natalia Plugaru [1:40:59]:

Thank you, dear Sana, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues. For the Republic of Moldova, social justice is closely connected to a simple question that we started to address recently. Who provides care and at what cost? In Moldova, as elsewhere, unfortunately, women still spend three to four hours more than men on unpaid care work.

And here in Moldova.

Nearly 40% of economically inactive women are absent from the workforce for one reason alone, they are caring for someone. So this is why we started to treat the care economy recently, not only as a social policy issue, but also as an investment in the labor market participation and economic growth. And allow me to highlight the two key reforms, the two key successes that Moldova is advancing and really proud. First one is we are expanding the childcare to unlock women's economic participation. We have a dedicated national program for childcare services for children aged zero to three.

Which was not available in the country.

By 2027, we aim to create 5,000 new childcare places nationwide, and this is huge for our small country and important.

But in addition to public creches, we adopted new legal.

Framework for alternative childcare services, formally recognizing nannies, family-type childcare services, and employer-based childcare, because one model cannot serve every family. But most importantly, these reforms are already delivering measurable results. I'm proud to say that the employment rate of women with children under six increased in Moldova from 39% to 51% in the last couple of years. So more than 10% point, and I think this is huge. Second, we are redistributing care because this is not only a women issue, and I think we all agree it's a society issue. We recently introduced in the legislation a shared childcare leave to bring fathers into caregiving from the very beginning. And it's working because what we see also from studies in Moldova, the proportion of fathers who are actively involved in childcare also has grown from 55% to 70%. Now more housework is shared between parents, and this is important progress, but there is still more to achieve.

So for us, this is what?

Means moving from international commitments to implementation, changing policies so that women do not have to choose between having a family or having a career. And our experience has taught us that investing in care is also investing in employment. It helps redistribute unpaid care, gives women greater economic independence, supports families and expands the labor force. And we see this already in our results. So our message is therefore clear. Care policy is economic policy. And if we want more inclusive labor markets and more resilient economies, we must make care accessible, affordable, and compatible with employment. So this is one of the areas that Moldova is ready to continue sharing our experience, but also learning from other partners of the Global Coalition for Social Justice. Thank you.


Moderator · Sana [1:44:42]:

Thank you so much, Minister Plugaru. Very clear and indeed impressive. So, of course, we will follow up and see how partners can learn, but also collaborate to continue along this line. Thank you very much. Now, I'm pleased to... Maybe, I think Nigeria Minister is still working on the connection, so we will move from not that far, from Kisinau to Nicosia. so that I will be able to give the floor to Mr. Marinos Mouskoutas, Minister of Labour and Social Insurance of Cyprus. He will be followed by the Minister of Overseas Pakistanis, Human Resource Development and Religious Affairs of Pakistan. Minister Mouskoutas, you have the floor.


Cyprus · Minister of Labour and Social Insurance · Marinos Mouskoutas [1:45:31]:

Thank you, dear colleagues, dear friends. It's a great pleasure to join you today and to share Cyprus' contribution to the Global Coalition for Social Justice. For Cyprus, our partnership in the coalition reflects the clear conviction that social justice must not remain simply an inspiration or an international commitment. They must be translated into the way we design policies, make decisions and ultimately improve people's lives. This is precisely the thinking behind the initiative that Cyprus is bringing to the coalition. Our contribution focuses on the development of a crash course for policy makers on social justice aimed at strengthening their capacity to systematically integrate the social justice dimension into both policy design and decision making. The course draws on relevant material from key texts addressing issues of social justice and is firmly rooted in the principles of the ILO Declaration of Philadelphia of 1944 and in its enduring vision that all human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity. Our objective is to help translate this fundamental principle into practical policymaking. The crash course therefore seeks to strengthen understanding of the concept and dimensions of social justice to support participants in identifying and analyzing social justice practices, challenges, to promote the use of appropriate policy tools and good practices, and to strengthen cooperation and meaningful dialogue among the actors involved. Most importantly, it also seeks to mobilize stakeholders and encourage concrete actions. The first course took place on 8th of May 2026 under the auspices of the Minister of Labor and Social Insurance of Cyprus. It brought together as its first target group, social partners, representatives of local authorities and commissioners, creating an opportunity for dialogue and exchange among actors with different responsibilities and perspectives. Building on this first experience, our intention is to continue and further develop the crash course with a new training activity expected to take place in 2027, reaching additional target groups and broadening its impact. One important lesson emerging from our work is that social justice cannot be pursued through employment and social policies alone. It requires a horizontal approach, stronger policy coherence, and meaningful engagement with social partners and other stakeholders. This commitment has also been reflected in the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first semester of 2026, where fair and safe employment for social justice was placed at the heart of our employment agenda with particular emphasis on quality jobs, adequate wages, safety and health at work, equal opportunities, and continuous skills development. I'm also very pleased to underline that Cyprus has recently been appointed as a member of the coordinating group of the Global Coalition for Social Justice for its new term. We see this as both an honor and a responsibility. It provides us with a further opportunity to contribute actively to the coalition's work, to learn from the experiences of other partners and to help strengthen cooperation and collective action for social justice. This is particularly important as we move from international commitments towards implementation, including the commitments of the Doha Political Declaration, which is a key focus of the year's forum. Cyprus stands ready to share the experience and tools developed through our educational initiative with other coalition partners, while also learning from similar initiatives and good practices. We believe that this exchange can help us collectively strengthen the capacity of policymakers to place social justice at the heart of public policy. Because ultimately, social justice is achieved not only through the commitments we make, but through the decisions we take and through the tangible difference those decisions make in people's lives. Thank you very much.


Moderator · Sana [1:51:18]:

Thank you so much, minister. Indeed, it was a great contribution to the coalition to offer this crash course and training programmes and sharing experience and knowledge as part of the contributions of our valued partners within this global coalition for social justice. It is now my honor to invite Mr. Chaudhry Saniq Hussain, Minister of Overseas Pakistani, Human Resource Development and Religious Affairs of Pakistan. Thank you so much, Minister, for being here, and you have the floor.


Pakistan · Minister of Overseas Pakistani, Human Resource Development and Religious Affairs · Chaudhry Saniq Hussain [1:51:51]:

Excellencies, distinguished co-chairs, colleagues from the government, workers and employers organizations, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for this opportunity to speak in today's partnership spotlight. Let me begin with a simple question. that sits at the heart of this coalition. How do we turn commitments made through this forum into a change that a sanitation worker in Lahore, a domestic worker in Karachi, or a young job seeker anywhere in Pakistan can actually feel? That question has guided everything I want to share with you today. When the director general of the ILO called on countries to join the Global Coalition for Social Justice, Pakistan did not simply respond. We led. I am proud to share that Pakistan is one of the first countries in the world to launch a tripartite partnership under this coalition, bringing government, workers' organizations, and employers together around one national agenda for decent work. This was not a ceremonial gesture. It has set the tone for everything that followed. Through that tripartite platform, we identified priorities where accelerated action was most needed. Dominant among them was reducing inequality and ensuring a just transition for our workforce as climate change and technological disruption reshaped the world of work. These priorities are now embedded in our Decent Work Country Programme, DWCP4, signed with the ILO for the period 2023 to 2027, which places economic recovery, universal social protection, international labor standards, and gender-responsive workplace at its core. We have moved from commitment to implementation. Our emerging wage reform agenda treats wages not merely as a labor market variable, but as a lever against inequality and gender disparity. We have secured the announcement of minimum wages for domestic workers in Punjab, workers who for too long remained invisible to the systems meant to protect them. This spirit of reform is not only spoken about, but also being written into law. Just this year, the government of Punjab notified the Punjab Labor Code, consolidating decades of fragmented legislation into one modern framework. And for the first time in our history, bringing gig workers, ride hailing drivers, delivery riders, and digital platform workers under the protection of labor law. Pakistan has also become a pathfinder country under the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for just transitions. And we have backed that commitment with an allocation of approximately 1 billion rupees towards employment, skill, social protection, and gender responsive labor reforms. 64% of Pakistan's population is under the age of 30. We do not see this as a demographic pressure. We see it as our single greatest social and economic asset. That is why we targeted training around 150,000 young people annually in market-oriented skills through the Prime Minister's Youth Skill Development Program, the Punjab Skills Development Fund that reaches to 80,000 youth a year across 250 trades. And we have distributed over 600,000 laptops to expand digital inclusion for our young innovators and entrepreneurs. Excellencies, when I reflect on this journey, I am reminded that social justice is not an abstract ideal we debate in conference halls. It is the dignity of a sanitation worker who is finally recognized by the state. It is the wage that lets a mother provide for her children. It is the young person in a village who for the first time has a laptop, a skill, and a reason to hope. This is what moves Pakistan, not the language of policy, but the faces behind it. Joining the Global Coalition for Social Justice is a clear reflection of our national vision. A country grounded in belonging, driven by reform and dedicated to expand opportunity for all. We carry this commitment with humility and hope, knowing there is still much more to do, because we have already seen what this partnership can achieve. We remain firmly committed to walking this path together with the ILO, with our social partners, with multilateral development banks, and with every partner in this virtual room. that the promise of decent work becomes a lived reality for every worker in Pakistan. Thank you very much.


Moderator · Sana [1:56:24]:

Thank you so much, Minister. Very clear. And another way to contribute is to establish its own national coalition for social justice. Thank you very much, Minister, for this insightful presentation. And we will continue our journey from Islamabad to Abuja, back to Nigeria. And I'm very pleased to invite Mr. Mohammed Magri. Oh, I will say it correctly. Dingyadi, Minister Dingyadi of Labor and Employment of Nigeria, you have the floor.


Nigeria · Minister of Labor and Employment · Muhammad Magaji Dingyadi [1:56:58]:

Thank you very much, Chairperson, distinguished excellencies, the representative of ILO, distinguished delegates, social partners, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, let me apologize for the slight technical hitch, but at the end of the day, we are already here with you. I thank you very much for this opportunity. I bring warm greetings from the government and the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am honored to join this high-level ministerial meeting, an important platform for turning our shared commitment to practical action. For Nigeria, social justice is inseparable from economic transformation. Our young, enterprising population and diverse labor market face eliminate change, technological change, and the livelihood pressures. Policies must therefore create productive employment while protecting dignity. The move to a low carbon economy must be a just transition in which climate ambition and social progress advance together. Workers need relevant skills and social progress advance together. Nigeria believes the global coalition for social justice can add value in three major areas. One, aligning employment, climate, education, enterprise, and social protection policies. Two, mobilizing technical and financial partnerships for country-led priorities, and three, promoting accountability through practical commitments and shared learning. The coalition should keep workers and employers at the center of implementation through social dialogue. Social dialogue is not an event at the end of the policy process, but a method of governance that builds trust, improves decisions, and strengthens the legitimacy of the reform. Nigeria updated nationally determined contribution recognizes employment creation, skills development, social inclusion, and private sector engagement as key enablers of climate action, reflecting our conviction that environmental policy must also deliver social and economic value. We have also developed Nigeria's just transition guidelines and action plan through consultations and data collection across the six geopolitical zones in the country, validated by national stakeholders in October 2025. It provides a roadmap to inclusive, fair, and low-carbon economy with clear attention to green jobs, social protection, gender equality, and sustainable development. Our focus is moving from policy design to implementation. At place, a planned tripartite workshop on NDC and the guidelines will identify responsibilities, strengthen coordination, and translate commitments into measurable results. Skills development will be a major pillar. Young people must be prepared for emerging occupations, workers in changing sectors, need reskilling and upskilling, and training must reflect labor market demand. Women and persons in vulnerable situations must have equitable access. Nigeria is actively promoting women's leadership in the clean energy sector through a capacity-building initiative aimed at 100 women entrepreneurs, designed to strengthen their businesses and position them as leaders. during the energy transition. A key focus on this initiative is clean cooking, where establishing strong standards and regulations will foster safer technologies and enterprise development in collaboration with Nigeria Alliance for Clean Cooking and the Standards Organization of Nigeria. Additionally, access to finance is crucial for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises will determine their ability to invest in clean technologies, improve energy efficiency, and adopt new business models, ultimately contributing to livable and local growth. Excellencies, the transition must be measured not only by technologies deployed or emissions reduced, but by the quality of jobs created, protection for those at risk, and public confidence in the future. Social justice must be visible in citizens' lives. Let us move from broad agreement to coordinated action, building productive and sustainable economies in which every worker, enterprise, and community has a fair opportunity to contribute and prosper. Nigeria remains committed to this endeavor and to the objectives of the Global Coalition for Social Justice. Thank you.


Moderator · Sana [2:02:40]:

Thank you so much, Minister. And we will follow up very point by point on all these aspects and suggestions you made, dear Minister. Thank you so much. So we continue our journey from Abuja to San Marino as we turn now to Mr. Alessandro Belletori, Minister for Labour of the Republic of San Marino. He will be by the Secretary of State for Labor of Canada. Minister Vittori, you have the floor.


San Marino · Minister for Labour · Alessandro Belletori [2:03:14]:

Mr. President, Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, it is an honor to represent the Republic of San Marino in the Global Coalition for Social Justice. When San Marino joined the Coalition, we We made a clear commitment to build further and more inclusive societies, promote equal opportunities, and ensure that no one is left behind. This commitment is in line with the 2030 Agenda and our international commitments. We believe that social justice must go hand in hand with the changes taking place in the economy and in the world of work. For this reason, social dialogue and cooperation with the social partners are central to our approach. In line with ILO Convention No. 144, San Marino has promoted dialogue between the government, trade unions and employers associations. The Labour Commission now provides a permanent forum for this dialogue. During this legislative term, we have also focused on the ratification of ILO conventions that had not yet been ratified. In October, San Marino is expected to ratify the ILO conventions on occupational health and safety. This will further demonstrate our commitment to protecting workers' fundamental rights. We believe that competitiveness, innovation, workers protection and inclusion can and must go together. Our Parliament is currently examining a reform to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace, recognize their skills and potential and providing the support needed to enter and remain in the labor market. As a small state, San Marino does not seek to propose a model for others to copy. Our contribution is to test new approaches, evaluate their result, and adapt them quickly. Our size also allows us to maintain a direct relationship between institutions, workers, and employers. and to involve social partners in defining priorities. This is the contribution San Marino wishes to bring to the Coalition: to promote social dialogue, to support ILO standards, and to build a fairer, more inclusive and responsible future for the world of work. Thank you.


Moderator · Sana [2:06:03]:

Thank you so much, Minister. And now we are moving from San Marino to Ottawa. So we will now hear from Mr. John Zeru-Celli, Secretary of State for Labour of Canada. We will conclude now our partner spotlight first segment ministerial one. Mr. Zeru-Celli, you have the floor.


Canada · Secretary of State for Labour · John Zeru-Celli [2:06:27]:

Hello, everyone, and thank you, Chair. I'm John Zeru-Celli, Canada's Secretary of State for Labour. Canada is a proud supporter of the International Labour Organization because we know we have to protect workers across the world. And we are proud to have several Canadian employer and worker organizations as members of the coalition. In June, I had the opportunity to address the International Labour Conference in Geneva. I mentioned that we found ourselves in challenging times for workers, for businesses, and for the entire economy. That hasn't changed. If anything, things have become more challenging. And it's during times like these when we need to ensure our workers prosper. Canada continues to do just that. We're building a stronger, more resilient economy. Workers are at the center of our strategy. This year, we created a new tripartite advisory council comprised of employer and employee representatives across all sectors, ensuring that workers are central to the policy development process. But as coalition members, we need to continue to work closely with our partners around the world to protect workers, to strengthen social progress, especially during these times. And there's one specific initiative that I'd like to highlight today. We're all aware of the power of constructive dialogue at the bargaining table. This dialogue often leads to the strongest agreements. Yet sometimes, collective bargaining can break down and lead to costly work stoppages. In this situation, nobody wins. That's why Canada and the ILO have partnered to help strengthen the skills and tools needed to support productive labour relations. We are implementing an online training course on social dialogue for workers, employers, and government representatives. This project is called Supporting Social Dialogue: Strengthening Worker and Employer Capacities for the Prevention and Resolution of Labour Disputes. Using real-world labour relations scenarios, this training helps participants gain the skills they need for effective negotiation and how to find resolution between all parties. It is being offered in multiple languages and will become part of the ILO's International Training Centre's regular training curriculum. Together, we can help protect workers, businesses, and our economies while upholding international labour standards. Thank you again for the opportunity to participate in this forum. We look forward to continuing collaboration on shared priorities, and we remain committed to working with the ILO and our coalition partners to help build a better future where no one is left behind. Thank you so much.


Moderator · Sana [2:08:56]:

Thank you. Thank you very much, Minister. And I think we will pause now. I would like to thank all our partners and ministers for this very rich contributions, reflecting the breadth and the diversity of the Coalition's work. We've heard about social protection, care economy, poverty reduction, job creation, artificial intelligence, several times. Women and youth empowerment, also many times, I'm glad. Skills development, social dialogue, of course, and many other topics were raised with very concrete activities, contributions, and also results. So we will take careful notes of the ideas, proposals, and opportunities for collaboration raised today and ensure that they fit into the follow-up of the forum and the coalition's ongoing work. So we will now continue our journey across the coalition diverse community of partners. It is my great pleasure also to hand over the moderation to Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault from the Secretariat of the Global Coalition for Social Justice. And again, I would like to all very distinguished ministers for making this happen and being here with us. Thank you so much and hand over to you, Emmanuel.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:10:17]:

Thank you very much, Sana, and welcome to the partners, the representatives of the partners who have just joined us for the second part of our partner spotlight. Without further ado, I'm pleased to invite Mr. Jaime Iglesias Sanchez Cervera, Special Commissioner for the Social Economy at the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy of Spain. He will be followed by the representative of the Republic of the Congo. Mr. Iglesias Sanchez Cervera, you have the floor.


Spain · Special Commissioner for the Social Economy · Jaime Iglesias Sanchez Cervera [2:10:53]:

Thank you very much indeed. Manuel, and allow me to extend greetings to everybody taking part in this annual forum, and thanking the ILO and the Coalition Secretariat for all of the efforts made in advancing this initiative. Spain was one of the first countries to join the Coalition because we believe very strongly in the idea that lies behind it, and that is that social justice isn't a consequence of economic development, but a precondition for development to be sustainable, democratic and truly shared. That's why we welcome the fact that the coalition has managed to bring governments, workers and employers organizations, international organizations and civil society together over the years around a common agenda on decent work, human rights, social protection and social dialogue. And that momentum has now been seen in wider global debates, such as at the World Summit on Social Development in Doha. Spain's commitment to this agenda is very unwavering and has been seen in tangible action. In particular, I could point to our support for the Global Accelerator for Employment and Social Protection for Just Transitions, one of the key initiatives of the coalition. Spain provided 10 million euros during the first financing round and continues to participate actively in the coordinating group. The great strength of the Global Accelerator is that it breaks down silos. It doesn't deal with employment, social protection, environmental transition, or the care economy or formalization as separate problems. It deals with them together. And that is extremely important in terms of tangible impact, extending social protection to millions of people all over the world in countries like Namibia, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, or Cabo Verde. Secondly, I'd also like to stress that we are fully committed to the social and solidarity economy and ensuring that that is addressed at global level. In the last few years, the international community has recognized the key strategic role of that economic model. That was done at the ILC in 2022, the UN General Assembly and resolutions in 2023 and 2024. I'm also seeing that in the Luxembourg Committee at the European Union, which is co-chaired by Spain. We've strengthened that this year with the IBO and American commitment to the SSE and specifically in creating the group of friends on SSE at the UN, which is a good practice, which has come out of the. framework of the Global Coalition as well. But what's a matter of concern for us now is during the current ILO reform process, we are not giving sufficient recognition to the strategic dimension of the social and solidarity economy. We are weakening its structure in terms of the way in which it's dealt with within UN agencies, the task force in particular on SSEs and cooperatives at the ILO. which has existed since the very beginning of the organization, that specific unit which has been weakened during this process. For us, dismantling such structures would be a historic contradiction, and I think we need to address that now. Because the social economy isn't just a marginal issue, it's a key tool in responding to challenges connected with sustainability, democracy, some of the major challenges of our time, including housing, energy, care, industry, or the way in which we consume. That's why we are already part of 23 states in the Group of Friends, and we call on all members and partners of the coalition to support these efforts designed to strengthen and preserve this international architecture because it's worked so well over the years. I'd also like to thank Brazil for their chairmanship, congratulate them on their excellent work, and wish them every success in the next phase under the chairmanship of India. We wish the coalition every success as well. These are challenging times for multilateralism, and we need more cooperation, more dialogue, in difficult times for multilateralism. We need to enhance that cooperation. We need more dialogue, more rights and more social justice. So thank you very much indeed for your attention.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:15:57]:

Thank you very much. I now invite Mr. Joseph Akonzo-Nguiembo, Director General of Labour of the Republic of the Congo. He will be followed by the representative of the Netherlands. Mr. Akonzo-Nguiembo, the floor is yours.


Congo · Director General of Labour · Joseph Akonzo-Nguiembo [2:16:16]:

Thank you. Thank you for giving me the floor and thus to the Republic of the Congo. I'd like to first of all express to the ILO leaders and the Global Coalition of Social Justice, well, I'd like to thank you sincerely on behalf of our minister in the Republic of the Congo and I'll be taking the floor on behalf of our Minister for Social Justice today we'll be presenting very briefly our experience we would like to note the various calls for action and declarations that have been made at the international level, including the Doha Political Declaration. This corresponds to our realities. With our social partners, we have implemented a plan of action where the main pillar is to strengthen the fight against inequalities, namely inequalities in access to work, and around social protection for young people, women and access to decent work. 2025 to 2026 has have seen significant progress, namely with respect to the adoption and technical validation of our work, in particular thanks to partners from the ILO. This relates to various policies that fall within this plan of action and its areas. We also have seen progress with respect to our labour code. We've introduced and seen the approval of additions to our labour code. In line with our plan of action, we've also ensured that fundamental principles and standards relating to combating social inequality are enshrined. We've also seen progress with respect to the implementation of a program in cooperation with the ILO. This relates to improving access to health and safety at work and social protection in supply chains for soy and sunflower. This has been made official. With respect to future perspectives, we intend to Consider the formal adoption of our national labour policy, our labour and training policy by the end of 2026. We also hope to adopt and promulgate a new labour code relating to the fundamental principles and norms relating to combating social inequalities. We also are hoping to ensure that this labour code will be widespread to ensure its effective implementation across our country. We have also initiated a campaign that will be launching soon with a view to the application of a new minimum salary as fixed the end of 2024, many companies have followed this and are implementing a minimum wage. We need to ensure that this minimum wage is reflected in collective convention, and this is the work that we are hoping to carry out next month. We also, in the future, are hoping to create very soon a body for social dialogue which will largely deal with the third pillar of our plan of action, namely with respect to implementation of our national labour policies and ensuring these are widespread and making sure there's effective implementation of our work in particular with respect to social dialogue in order to build on our work and progress on the ground thank you


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:21:18]:

thank you Director General of labor for sharing all of your initiatives we'd like to uh send our warm greetings to your minister.

Invite Mr. V director of international affairs at the Ministry of social affairs and employment of the Netherlands he will be followed the representative of Kenya. Mr. Gertz, you have the floor. I'm sorry, we can't hear you. If you could unmute. It's better.


Netherlands (Kingdom of the) · Director of International Affairs · Mr. Gertz [2:22:00]:

Can you hear now?


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:22:01]:

Yes. Yes, sorry.


Netherlands (Kingdom of the) · Director of International Affairs · Mr. Gertz [2:22:02]:

Something went wrong.

Well, thanks very much, Emmanuelle, and thanks to all the other ministers and panelists for their interesting contributions. We would like to start by reiterating our full support for the important work of ILO and Global Coalition. We would like to focus this brief intervention on the subject of living wages and income, which we see as an essential element to reduce poverty and ensure decent working conditions worldwide that warrants further action. I would like to highlight three concrete examples of Dutch support in this area. First, IDH, the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative, has developed living wage and income roadmaps for companies. And this has resulted, for example, in a retail agreement on living wages in the banana sector. Secondly, the Dutch Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa, DISCO, brings together important stakeholders from the cocoa sector. And we are the world's largest importer of cocoa and therefore feel a strong responsibility for global supply chains. One of the goals of DISCO is a living income for cocoa farming families by 2030. And thirdly, we support ILO's setting adequate wages program. One of its successes are strengthened minimum wage boards in Assam and Telangana in India that facilitate data-driven dialogue between governments, trade unions, and employers.

The takeaways from these experiences, we have learned about the importance.

Of including local stakeholders, 'cause they know best how to enforce fair and living wages. And second, a vital step for implementing living wages income is strong tripartite cooperation. The acceptance of the tripartite outcome on wage setting and living wages March 24 was an example of strong impact that tripartism.

Can make in this area.

So, Chair, to conclude, I would like to stress that the Netherlands will be a part of the steering group of the Global Coalition's key initiative on living wages, and we look forward to continue our cooperation with other governments, social partners and stakeholders, including the private sector that has an important role to play here, to advance the developments on living wages and to support the follow-up of the ILO living wage conclusions. Thank you very much for your attention.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:24:12]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Gertz, for sharing your commitment and engagement in those areas. I now invite Mrs. Elaine Apiyo, Commissioner for Labour at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Kenya. She will be followed by the representative of Finland. Mrs. Apiyo, the floor is yours.


Kenya · Commissioner for Labour · Elaine Apiyo [2:24:32]:

Thank you very much, Emmanuel. And thank you very much. I recognize the presence of honourable ministers and colleagues. Kenya appreciates the opportunity to share its experiences under the Global Coalition for Social Justice, Human Rights Economy intervention, and to reaffirm her commitment to advancing human rights and labor rights by placing people, human dignity, and decent work at the center of inclusive and sustainable development. For Kenya, the human rights economy approach is particularly relevant because of its reinforces the principle of human rights and which translates to tangible improvements to in people's lives in the world of work. This means ensuring that economic development goes hand in hand with respect to fundamental rights, equality, non discrimination, social protection, decent work, king conditions and access to justice. Kenya's pursuit of these ideals is a combination of legislative and policy reforms, social dialogue, social protection, labor administration, and measures to promote equal Opportunity to employment and decent work in general, a significant step made by Kenya is initiating a comprehensive level low review. process. The reform seeks to strengthen the protection of workers rights and to ensure that labor and employment framework remains responsive to the changing world of work. The process is firmly anchored on social dialogue and tripartism with strong participation of government, employers and workers organization. Kenya greatly appreciates the technical support and provided by the International Labor Organization and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for and rights. Their complementarity, expertise, and support are contributing to a comprehensive, inclusive, and rights-based reform process. Beyond legislative reform, Kenya continues to strengthen social dialogue and to promote decent work. Kenya is also strengthening labor administration, inspection, and enforcement. It is also promoting equality and non-discrimination as an important priority area of focus. Across this area, social dialogue is at the center. And Kenya recognizes the reforms to strengthening social dialogue institutions, that is the National Labor Board, the Wages Councils, and the various tripartite committees. and it's in recognition of its in building consensus and developing practical solutions. It's also worthy to mention the government's initiative of NYOTA, that is the National Youth Opportunity Towards Advancement, which is a five-year initiative to uplifting unemployed and vulnerable youths. between the age of 18 and 35 and to providing capital grants, digital and technical skills and apprenticeship and has adopted a multi-sectoral approach towards achieving this. Kenya's participation in this pilot as a pilot country under the human rights economy intervention is very important to the country and we look forward to continuing advancing the priorities that have been Highlighted that is level low review, strong, social dialogue, institutions, expanding social protection, promotion of equal opportunity in employment and meaningful social dialogue. Kenya welcomes continued engagement with the ILO, OHR and other partners of the global coalition for social justice. We believe that our experience can contribute to the broader discussion on how international cooperation. can support Member States in moving from commitments to practical and sustainable outcomes. We thank the Chair for your attention. Thank you.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:28:45]:

Thank you very much, Mrs. Labour Commissioner, and we look forward to following you and following your progress, accompanying you on this impressive journey. We will now turn to Mr. Reimo Anttila, Director General of the Department for Work and Gender Equality at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland. He will be followed by the representative of Tunisia. Mr. Anttila, you have the floor.


Finland · Director General of the Department for Work and Gender Equality · Reimo Anttila [2:29:16]:

Thank you, Chair. Ministers, Director General, Excellencies, delegates. It's a great honor to address this forum on behalf of the government of Finland. Finland has been a strong supporter of the Global Coalition for Social Justice from the start. Now I'm pleased to announce that Finland has decided to join the Equal Pay International Coalition, the EPIC. Gender equality and equal pay has long been priorities for Finland. They are essential for building sustainable, inclusive and resilient societies. First, I would like to thank the ILO and Director General Ahonbo for their strong leadership in promoting social justice and social rights at the time when they are more important than ever. By joining EPIC, Finland is committed to contributing to global efforts to advance.

Pay equity.

We look forward to sharing experiences, learning from partners, and strengthening international cooperation in support of gender equality and social justice. Our experience shows that progress towards equality requires the whole of government and whole of society approach. Finland promotes the economy or well-being approach. which brings together economic, social and environmental policies to support sustainable and inclusive development. Strong social dialogue and broad partnerships are essential to achieving lasting results. While progress has been made, achieving equal pay remains a shared challenge. Continued political commitment, collaboration with social partners and effective international cooperation are needed to close the gender pay gap and ensure that no one is left behind. Looking ahead, the strong message of the Doha World Social Summit should guide our work. We need to carry it forward in the implementation and renewal of the Agenda 2030, as well as in ongoing discussions on UN reform. Social justice, gender equality and decent work must remain at the heart of these efforts. As a new member of EPIC, Finland looks forward to working with all partners to accelerate progress towards equal pay for all. Thank you.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:32:09]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Anttila, and congratulations to your government for having joined EPIC. This is an important contribution to the social justice agenda of the coalition, and we congratulate you. We will certainly highlight that. I will now invite Mr. Saif Ben Sassi, Director General of the Center for Research and Social Studies at the Ministry of Social Affairs of Tunisia. He will be followed by the representative of Turkey. Mr. Ben Sassi, the floor is yours.


Tunisia · Director General of the Center for Research and Social Studies · Saif Ben Sassi [2:32:45]:

Thank you very much.

First of all, I'd.

Like to reiterate my thanks for inviting me to this very important meeting.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:33:08]:

Excuse me, Mr. Bensassi, we're having difficulty hearing you. I think there's a connection issue. Excuse me, the sound is cutting out. I don't know if you could try to fix the connection. We can move on to the next.

I see, I'll press here.

We can try a little, go ahead.


Tunisia · Director General of the Center for Research and Social Studies · Saif Ben Sassi [2:33:36]:

Thank you, says the speaker. My apologies for the technical issue, can you hear me?


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:33:43]:

Please go ahead.


Tunisia · Director General of the Center for Research and Social Studies · Saif Ben Sassi [2:33:46]:

Thank you, first of all, I'd like to thank the organisers of this event. We think this is an important event in the eyes of all of us and in particular in Tunisia. For some years, we've been making a reality relevant issues relating to social justice. We think that this type of event also enables us to bring together efforts with a view to making our goals a reality, in particular when it comes to social justice. We all know that the matter of social justice is important. We all need to make efforts on it and Tunisia is making efforts in this respect towards social justice. We have real commitments alongside the ILO to better turn our work into a reality relating to policies on social protection, inter alia, and other policies to move forward on social justice. We are committed to several projects. We understand the need to ensure that social protection is more inclusive and more dynamic. We need to ensure that we can reach significant numbers of individuals and we need to make sure that we can turn social justice goals into a reality. Tunisia has faced several challenges and difficulties with respect to ensuring social protection efforts are widespread. There are certain groups who are finding it difficult to become part of these efforts. And we're seeking to try and include these groups to have more holistic and cohesive efforts, whether it's with respect to labor policies, training, or other aspects. We're seeking to continue to ensure that we provide social protection that can go hand in hand with social justice. To this end, Tunisia has committed, alongside the ILO, to identify difficulties with respect and looking at how we can solve these difficulties to better implement social justice. Social justice is not a matter for just one country. Countries need to be innovative and draw on expertise in order to seek solutions to reach populations who may be on the sidelines of social coverage. Our commitment is a real one. We are trying to continue impetus of reform with respect to social protection and we stand committed alongside the ILO to effectively implement our goals. These are relevant goals and we're seeking to generate further objectives that are inclusive and holistic at the global level. Thank you.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:38:06]:

Thank you, Mr. Bensassi, for sharing these commitments, these tangible commitments from TUMISIA. With respect to social justice, especially extending social protection to the most vulnerable groups.

I would like to invite Mr. Ali Ebe, Director General for Foreign Relations and European Union Affairs at the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Turkey. He will be followed by the representative of Switzerland. Mr. Ebe, you have the floor.


Türkiye · Director General for Foreign Relations and European Union Affairs · Ali Ebe [2:38:37]:

Thank you very much, Emmanuel. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, dear partners, It's a great pleasure for me to address on the.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:38:49]:

I'm so sorry to interrupt you, sir. We can't hear you very well. Would there be a way to bring the microphone closer? Is it better now? It's still very far. If you could increase the volume, perhaps, or--.


Türkiye · Director General for Foreign Relations and European Union Affairs · Ali Ebe [2:39:07]:

How is it now?


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:39:09]:

It is still far. I'm not sure the interpreters can hear.


Türkiye · Director General for Foreign Relations and European Union Affairs · Ali Ebe [2:39:18]:

Is it better now?


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:39:23]:

Can I ask my colleagues if the interpreters are able to hear?


Interpreter [2:39:28]:

Unfortunately, the sound is still too poor to provide interpretation.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:39:35]:

It does appear to be very far. Would you like us to go to another speaker and come back to you while you look into the issue?


Türkiye · Director General for Foreign Relations and European Union Affairs · Ali Ebe [2:39:48]:

Okay, we will try to sort this out. Is it better now?


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:39:52]:

Yes, it's better.


Türkiye · Director General for Foreign Relations and European Union Affairs · Ali Ebe [2:39:54]:

Okay, thank you. Thank you, I'm sorry for the confusion.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:39:57]:

I'm sorry, please go ahead.


Türkiye · Director General for Foreign Relations and European Union Affairs · Ali Ebe [2:39:59]:

It's okay, thank you very much. Excellency, the British colleagues.


Interpreter [2:40:04]:

The interrupt is threat to inform that the sound is still too poor.


Türkiye · Director General for Foreign Relations and European Union Affairs · Ali Ebe [2:40:09]:

We are particularly pleased that for a second term, Turkey will continue to represent the European region in the coordination group and further on the international advisory board for the key intervention on just transition. We highly appreciate the confidence to play the in two years continued service in default which further strengthens our commitment to contributing constructively in coalitions work and bring new regional perspectives into its deliberations. This commitment is also reflected in our national policies. Turkey's national employment strategy provides the main framework for building a more inclusive and resilient labor market. Its priorities include adapting labor markets to the green and digital transformations and strengthening the alignment between education, skills, and employment. The strategy is supported by an action plan containing defined measures, responsible institutions, and indicators to monitor implementation and results. A further important step was the adoption of Turkey's first climate law in July 2025. The law defines just transition and expressly includes it among the guiding principles governing Turkey's efforts to combat climate change. More recently, Turkey co-hosted the OECD Skills Summit in Istanbul last April under the theme "Unlocking Talent Across Generations". The summit provided an important platform for international dialogue on skills transformation required to respond to the green, digital and demographic changes reshaping the world of work. Building on this foundation, our ministry is preparing Turkey's National Just Transition Strategy to an inclusive process involving public institutions, workers and employers, organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector. We hope to launch the strategy during COP31, which Turkey will host in Antalya this November. On the margins of COP31, we are also planning a high-level ministerial roundtable on delivering a just transition, decent work, skills, social protection and social dialogue currently envisaged for November 18th. The roundtable will be chaired by our minister, His Excellency Professor Dr. Vedat Işıkhan, the Minister of Labor and Social Security of Turkey. We will be honored to welcome ministers from coalition partner countries and to benefit from their exceptional experience and policy perspectives. Further details will be shared to coalition partners in due course. Distinguished colleagues, dear partners, We attach particular importance to greater participation by universities and research institutions in the Coalition. Our Ministry is therefore considering an initiative in Turkey to promote more structured engagement by academic institutions and help translate research and evidence into effective policies and practice. We would welcome cooperation with the Secretariat and interested partners in taking this initiative forward. These efforts are fully aligned with the implementation-oriented approach set out in the Doha Political Declaration. Turkey stands ready to share its experience, learn from its partners, and deepen practical cooperation through the Coalition. Drawing on its position at the intersection of several regions, Turkey will continue to work with its regional partners to advance the Global Coalition's objectives across the world geography. We invite all coalition parties to join us in Antalya and contribute to translating the principles of just transition into effective national policies and tangible outcomes. Thank you very much for your attention.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:44:03]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Abe, for sharing some concrete examples of the leadership that Turkey is playing in the Global Coalition for Social Justice and for your invitation and your call to action. I hope many partners will join you and us on this important journey. I am now pleased to invite Mrs. Andrea Gysel, Deputy Head of International Labour Affairs at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland. She will be followed by the Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. Mrs. Gysel, the floor is yours.


Switzerland · Deputy Head of International Labour Affairs · Andrea Gysel [2:44:44]:

Thank you very much indeed, Emmanuelle. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, dear coalition partners, In a context characterized by growing polarization and a tremendous strain on multilateralism, the adoption of the Doha political declaration by consensus has demonstrated that international cooperation remains essential for promoting social justice. Switzerland welcomes the fact that the Global Coalition for Social Justice is explicitly recognized in the declaration as a key player in the follow-up to the commitments adopted and we hope that it will help to translate the ambitions of Doha into tangible action and that's also at the forefront of Switzerland's mind when it remains a committed member of the coalition and continues to actively support several key initiatives including sustainable investment for social justice, responsible business for inclusive and sustainable societies and productive or productivity ecosystems conducive to decent work and social justice. And I'd like to focus on that last initiative now. Switzerland has long advocated the view that productivity growth is a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and ultimately social justice. But our experience has shown us that action at the level of businesses alone is not enough. Productivity gains, if they are to translate into social progress, must be underpinned by strong institutions, effective labor market governance, and dynamic social dialogue. And that's the aim of the Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work program. And Switzerland has supported the pilot phase of that in Ghana, South Africa, and Vietnam. The approach works simultaneously at the levels of public policy, economic sectors and businesses to create the conditions conducive to more inclusive growth. And the results are encouraging. The program has now reached more than 820 SMEs and 44,000 workers in three pilot countries. Over 90% of the supported companies recorded productivity gains, supported by increased revenue and improvements in working conditions. The initiative has also contributed to structural reforms. And in particular, it supported the development of national employment and productivity policies. It strengthened the capacity of relevant institutions and consolidated the role of the social partners in the three pilot countries. Now, those results demonstrate that it's possible to build a virtual circle between productivity, competitiveness, improved working conditions, and social progress. Building on those achievements, the program has moved into a second phase which is designed to consolidate the results that have been achieved and gradually extend the approach to new areas. And to achieve that scaling up, additional partnership and resources will nevertheless be required. So I'll end with quite a simple appeal. If we want the momentum of Doha to deliver tangible results for workers, businesses, and communities, then we need to invest together in concrete and improving solutions. Switzerland invites the members of the coalition to join this initiative and to contribute to the development of productivity ecosystems that promote decent work, shared prosperity, and social justice. Thank you very much indeed for your attention.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:48:25]:

Thank you, Andrea, for sharing the evidence of those initiatives and that encouraging news and your convincing call to join Switzerland in productivity ecosystems approach.

Mrs. Magdalena Sepulveda, Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, UNRISD. She will be followed by the Director for Just Transition at the International Institute for Sustainable Development. Mrs. Sepulveda, you have the floor.


UNRISD · Director · Magdalena Sepulveda [2:48:59]:

Thank you, Chair. It is a pleasure to join fellow partner of the Global Coalition for Social Justice. As the coalition advances collective impact, I would like to focus on one important challenge of our time, inequality. As more of the work of the Global Coalition partners shows, inequality is not just about income. It is about lack of access to decent work, education, technology, and political voice. But it is also about whose knowledge count, whose realities shape policy, and who benefits from economic and social transformation. Today, these inequalities are being intensified by climate change, economic instability, conflict, and rapid technological change. At ANROWS, addressing inequalities is at the center of our work. As the only UN entity dedicated exclusively on research on social development, we seek not only to understand inequality, but to identify practical pathway for addressing it. Let me briefly explain this with three examples. First, our research on care systems has shown that care is not a private issue, but a pillar of social justice and economic resilience. In 2025, AMRIS advanced work on the climate care nexus and launched a research on just transition and care work, demonstrating how investment in care, social protection, support climate, and allowed us to really an energy transition. This work has informed policy discussion from the G20 to the COP30 and contributed to global international recognition of care as a development priority. Second, Our research continued to shed light on the structural drivers of exclusion and discrimination. Our work has helped to better understand how gender equality backlash is impacting our societies and our democracy. And we have identified policy responses to protect hard-won social gain. At the same time, our work on intersectionality has helped public institution to better understand how inequalities relates to gender, race, class, disability, and territory intersects and reinforce one another. Third, and I'm very glad to announce this, ANVRS has launched a new research program on AI for equality and inclusion. reflecting our conviction that artificial intelligence must be governed as a social justice issue, not only as a technological one. Through this program, we're examining, for example, how AI impact on the concentration data, wealth, and power in the hands of a few actor and the implication of AI for democratic governance and accountability. Our objective is to help ensure that AI contribute to greater equality, inclusion, and social justice, rather than deepening existing divides. To conclude, the lesson is clear. Inequality cannot be tackled through isolated intervention. It requires integrated policies and partnership from all those committed to social justice. As we look to the future, we see a significant opportunity to advance efforts aimed at addressing inequality through this coalition. UNRIS remain committed to working with the coalition partners to build more equal, inclusive, and resilient society. Thank you very much.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:53:10]:

Thank you very much, Mrs. Sepulveda, for sharing some of the important research carried out by UNRIS, present and future research. And we look forward to strengthening collaboration among coalition partners to advance this work, this important work on tackling inequalities together. I would now invite Mr. Philipp Gass, Director for Just Transition at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, IISD. He will be followed by the representative of Oxfam. Mr. Gass, the floor is yours.


IISD · Director for Just Transition · Philipp Gass [2:53:45]:

Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today at the Annual Forum for the Global Coalition for Social Justice. On behalf of IISD, we are pleased to support the GCSJ and appreciate the opportunity to work with such a supportive group of governments and stakeholders. At IIED, we are increasingly embedding just transition as well as gender equity and social inclusion into our work. In the current global political environment, it is essential that those of us who support equity, inclusion and justice to voice the support firmly in response to the loud voices who are looking to roll back hard-fought progress. It is only when we accept their desire for our silence and allow them to clear the room, turn off the lights and close the door that they prevail in their mission. It can be hard to take such a global and heavy issue and make it practical and implementable. I want to talk briefly today about one way we are doing that at IIED. We're soon launching a new study from a project focused on developing carbon pricing systems in a manner consistent with inclusion and just transition. The report, titled "Insights on Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification in Carbon Pricing: Developing Effective and Inclusive MRV Systems," examines how justice and inclusion can be fostered in the design and implementation of MRV systems. MRV may sound like a highly technical part of carbon pricing, and it is, but technical systems are often not socially neutral. Who informs their design, who can comply and benefit from them, all matter for equity and inclusion. Gender equity, social inclusion, and just transition, therefore, need to reach within the technical architecture of climate policy, not sit alongside of it. This is one practical example of what it means to mainstream inclusion and just transition into our work. We found that MRV systems largely have not yet put gender equality, social inclusion, and just transition principles into practice in their governance arrangements. As a result, there's little documented evidence that MRV design has included inclusive governance mechanisms, such as meaningful stakeholder engagement or tripartite social dialogue. The benefits of MRV are also unevenly accessible, with smaller, less resourced entities and workers facing more difficulty to convert compliance into competitive advantage. Our study found that participatory approaches to MRV can strengthen community ownership, improve data quality, and build technical capacity, extending equity and inclusion to the growing MRV workforce and helping to ensure a more diverse range of workers acquire these increasingly valuable skills. More broadly, a just transition lens can operate not only at the level of workers and communities, but also among states, helping to ensure that all countries have a voice in shaping international standards. We'd be happy to share more about this work, and I encourage people to reach out to IISD if they're interested in the topic. To my original point, this is only one very small area of a very big issue. However, even if we have a 10-course meal in front of us, we can only eat it one bite at a time. We need practical ways to address macro issues at the micro level. In this way, we can plant seeds of progress that give us motivation to work harder and continue. So this is a simple example of how we are doing this and how others can do this. I encourage my colleagues and stakeholders and governments in the room to continue to embed just transition and inclusion in all your areas of work. In this way, we demonstrate that we're still here, we're still pushing for justice in all that we can do, and that the room we are in remains full, engaged, and motivated, despite the forces pushing in the other direction. Thank you very much.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [2:57:09]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Gass, and for the strong involvement of IIASD in the important work on just transition that's being undertaken by coalition partners, including through the International Advisory Board for Just Transition. We will now be pleased to invite Mrs. Charlotte Becker, Executive Director Germany of Oxfam. She will be followed by the representative of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. Mrs. Becker, the floor is yours.


Oxfam · Executive Director Germany · Charlotte Becker [2:57:43]:

Thank you very much for the invitation to Oxfam to participate in this online discussion. I would like to start with two contradictions that are present and that should direct our attention when it comes to think together what comes next. First, the demand for social justice, public services, environmental protection, etc. has never been higher, but we are consolidating a period of privatization of essential services, aid reductions, lowering of climate emissions. Second, in these turbulent times, the demand for multilateralism is extremely high, but the lack of solidarity is growing and multilateralism under attack. All this reflects an unstoppable crisis of inequality that is affecting our lives and that will affect those who come right after us if we don't move from will to action. As Oxfam, we have been working in this field for more than a decade. To give you a figure, there are around 3,000 billionaires who own, end of 2025, more than 18 trillion US dollars. That is comparable to the GDP of China. Meanwhile, hunger is growing and forecasts are not very bright on this for the near future. We believe, though, that in times of crisis, opportunities emerge, but emergence is not the same as action. And that is why this coalition is so important. Since last World Summit in Social Development, Oxfam has been engaging in several initiatives to expand social justice. Let me highlight four examples. First, the Seville Platform for Action on Care, then contributing to the roadmap for eradicating poverty beyond growth, coordinated from the office of the former UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. And third, Public Services Coalition with hundreds of civil society organizations from all over the world, where we are exposing the impacts of service privatization and the problem with unsustainable debt, etc. And lastly, on inequality, we are contributing to the development of the Seville Platform for Action on Taxing the Super-rich, led by Spain and Brazil, with the UNDP, then working in more than 35 countries with inequality programs and pushing the creation of an International Panel on Inequality, the IPI, which is mirroring the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has founding members South Africa, Brazil, Norway and Spain. I would like to end with two specific points of action. First, I would like to invite more governments to support the IPI proposal so it can lead to UN General Assembly resolution. Next week, during the 81st session of the UNGA, there will be a high-level event on the 23rd of September. And then, second, work together in putting social justice at the core of the next UN Secretary-General agenda. I thank you again for the invitation. We look forward to the continuation of our discussions.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [3:00:41]:

Thank you so very much, Mrs. Becker, for these important points that you've brought into the discussion and for mobilizing our partners around the UN-wide social justice agenda. We look forward to strengthening our actions in this regard. I will now invite Mrs. Ruth Wilkinson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, IOSH. She will be followed by the representative of Amfori. Mrs. Wilkinson, you have the floor.


IOSH · Head of Policy and Public Affairs · Ruth Wilkinson [3:01:20]:

Thank you, Emmanuel. And yes, I'm here to represent IOSH, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. And good afternoon, everybody, your excellencies, colleagues. Our members at IOSH are health and safety professionals united by a shared vision of a safe and healthy world of work. And I'm really appreciative that we've had the opportunity to come today and to speak to everybody because we joined the Global Coalition for Social Justice because we share a common belief that social justice cannot be achieved without decent work. And you cannot have decent work if workers are being killed, injured, or made ill at work, or if workers are being exploited or excluded from worker protections. A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work. And at IOSH, we see this as a prerequisite for social justice. Ensuring good occupational safety and health is not only the right thing to do, It also supports productivity, resilience, sustainability, and long-term economic development. So today, I would like to highlight IOSH's Human Cost campaign, which brings together much of our work on occupational safety and health, labour protection, responsible business conduct, and safer, healthier supply chains. Every product we buy has a human story behind it. Every service we use involves real people doing real work in real conditions, and not everyone is afforded a safe and healthy working environment. So thinking across global supply chains, workers continue to face preventable harm, yet those facing the greatest risks are often the least visible, informal workers, migrant workers, gig workers, women in precarious employment, and those vulnerable to labor exploitation and modern slavery. So through our Human Cost Campaign, IOSH, we've taken three practical steps. First, we're strengthening the evidence base. Second, we're helping place worker safety and health at the center of sustainability and human rights discussions. And thirdly, we're bringing together businesses, governments, practitioners, and civil society to identify practical solutions that can be implemented across supply chains. So examples, we've commissioned research through Rand Europe and brought stakeholders together to explore the findings and identify practical policy calls to action in relation to the informal economy and occupational safety and health. We're also working with an organisation within the Commonwealth to strengthen health and safety awareness and supply chain due diligence among independent, micro and small fashion businesses. And in addition, we've also taken our research and policy work and engaged with policymakers within the UK, talking about platform and gig work and modern slavery and changing labor markets. So through this work, we have learned a lot, but there are several important lessons. Number one, no single organization can address these challenges alone. We need collective action. Governments, businesses, international organisations, investors, researchers, worker representatives and civil society. Compliance alone is not enough. We need to create meaningful change and we need the right systems addressing root causes. And we need to be prevention first. Organisations also need meaningful worker engagement and strong due diligence. We must also focus on preventing harm and building health and safety capacities. So the challenges we're discussing today are complex, but our message is simple. When workers are safe and healthy, they are better able to access decent work, support their families, and participate fully in society. So to accelerate progress, we call on governments to extend occupational safety and health social protections, particularly for workers in informality and for other vulnerable groups. We call on businesses to have due diligence, procurement and responsible businesses practice, and we call on global coalition partners to share evidence, build capacity and work together to turn commitments into measurable improvements for workers. The social justice begins with preventing harm. Safe and healthy work is not only a workplace issue, it's a social justice issue. Thank you.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [3:05:47]:

Thank you very much, Mrs. Wilkinson, for sharing the very human-centered messages and tools that you are developing to accompany policymakers, enterprises, and workers in making us a fundamental right that is realized, and for calling upon all our partners to strengthen their effort. And we certainly hope the coalition will provide the right platform to do so. I am now pleased to invite Mrs. Maria Alejandra Pulido, Global Partnerships Advisor at AMFORY, and she'll be followed by our final partner spotlight speaker today representing the Latin American Federation of Scientific Workers. Mrs. Pulido, the floor is yours.


Amfori · Global Partnerships Advisor · Maria Alejandra Pulido [3:06:36]:

Thank you for the kind invitation to this session and also for the insightful intervention so far. For is a leading business association for open and sustainable trade, representing more than 2,400 members, companies from all around the globe. Basically, we are covering more than 50 countries, and they are all from wide range of sectors and sourcing markets. We have constantly worked to align our activities and international standards, including the UN Guiding Principles of Business and Human Rights, and of course, the ILO conventions. As part of this strategic approach is that we decided to join the Global Coalition for Social Justice, opening up to new opportunities for collaboration, not only inside the ILO ecosystem, but also beyond. And one leading example of those collaborations will be our new public private partnership with ILO on living wages. What we are trying to do through this partnership is. to facilitate that the ILO will be able to develop technical assistance and conduct research to support the estimation of living wages. But the initiative is also contributing to the collection of broader wage and economic data. And this is with the scope to strengthen national wage. And it's also to use a flexible approach to tailor a specific country context because we acknowledge that it's not the same if you were thinking about the country that is sitting in Latin America to the context that you might have in South Asia. Also, what we are trying to do is to consider the sourcing markets that are relevant to our members. And this partnership is something that we see that aligns strongly with the objectives that the Global Coalition for Social Justice has, and it reinforces that commitment of advancing in living wages through that social dialogue, through that local grounded wage setting processes. This is just one of the examples of what we're doing here in A4E, but I would like to encourage you all to explore what else you could do. It's not only about the ecosystem itself, but what you can do beyond this coalition. Thank you so much.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [3:09:02]:

Thank you so very much, Mrs. Pulido, for sharing the very active work that Amfori is doing, the collaborations that are being developed to advance this important agenda of living wages, and we look forward to continuing the journey with you. Thank you very much. So to conclude our partner spotlight, I'm pleased to invite Mr. Marcelo Gonzalez Manasco, President of the Latin American Federation of Scientific Workers, Fedlachi. Mr. Gonzalez Manasco, the floor is yours.


Fedlachi · President · Marcelo Gonzalez Manasco [3:09:38]:

Muchas gracias.

Many thanks. And a very good afternoon you all. My name is Marcelo Gonzalez Manasco and I'm president of the Latin American Federation of Scientific Workers and vice chair of the Global Federation of Scientific Workers. I'm very honored to participate at this annual forum for the Global Coalition for Social Justice, which is of course a very important initiative promoted by the ILO. And for us, we need to look at how to accelerate social progress and put social justice at the very heart of of development policies. My federation wishes to share with you an initiative which we believe is very closely linked to these objectives. We've launched an international campaign to promote and protect the rights of scientific workers. And that's based on a very simple but very important idea. People who produce knowledge are also workers and should be entitled to decent work. Science needs professional researchers and university lecturers and teachers who can work in decent, stable conditions, free of discrimination. And that's why we've drawn up a declaration on decent work for scientific workers. With 15 key recommendations covering key issues connected with work like decent wages, collective bargaining, equal opportunities, social security, occupational health and safety, the right to join a trade union, stability at work and recognition of different levels of training and education, mobility of researchers and appropriate remuneration and protection of scientific workers in the face of situations susceptible or likely to threaten their careers and sometimes even their lives. It's a great strategic importance because states need to have very sustainable policies and structures, financing mechanisms as well. that make it less precarious for scientific workers. In Latin America and the Caribbean, we continue to see major discrepancies between countries, but also common problems, such as precarious labor situations, difficulties in their careers, a difficulty in access to education, and a failure to recognize qualifications from one place to another. Some of these issues are common challenges that require common responses. We have opened up a space of dialogue and cooperation among trade union organizations, governments, universities, and international organizations, and scientific institutions. We want to try to identify points where we could actually collaborate immediately, exchange experiences and build common standards to help us to improve working conditions and the scientific development of our countries. Those 15 recommendations, as I said, in our declaration, refer to ILO conventions and recommendations, UNESCO instruments and other international agreements. And It's a proposal to open the discussion rather than close it, to try to defend the rights of scientific workers and establish the right to a knowledge society, to sustainable development and a future with more social justice. So we are prepared to share any information you require about this campaign and we invite all partners to help to achieve these objectives and a better future for all scientific workers. Thank you very much indeed for your attention and good luck with all of your work. Thank you very much indeed.


Global Coalition for Social Justice · Secretariat · Emmanuel Saint-Pierre-Guibault [3:14:08]:

The last contribution of this partner spotlight session of the coalition. And it leaves us on a very important note that allows us to emphasize the crucial role of scientific workers, of scientific researchers in making the case, developing the scientific arguments in favor of social justice. So we will carefully follow up and see how we can elevate this place within the Coalition. Many thanks to all our partner Spotlight speakers. Over these two days, we've heard a remarkable diversity of perspectives, experiences, and concrete examples from across the Coalition. Together, they've shown the value of bringing different actors around the same table, not only to exchange ideas, but to identify where and how we can move forward together. Now the secretariat will draw on these discussions to shape the next phase of our collective work and we'll come back to you. We'll be following up very closely with the outcomes and next steps and engaging with you bilaterally or within wider groups to really make sure that we draw on the richness of the contributions that were made today, the proposals, the initiatives that were put on the table. Ultimately, the strength of this coalition lies in the engagement of its partners. I think we've seen it today and yesterday and in what we're able to achieve together. On behalf of the Secretariat of the Global Coalition for Social Justice and of the co-chairs, the co-vice chairs of the coordinating group, I would like to thank all our speakers, partners and participants for their time, expertise and commitments you have brought to this annual forum. I would also like to thank the interpreters who've done a wonderful job during those two days and the technical teams who have supported the organization of this forum. Huge thanks to everybody. There's a behind the scene which you have not seen fully. You may have seen some glimpses of it, but you haven't seen it all. And it's an incredible amount of work. And we thank you. And we thank everybody who's been involved also in supporting our partners, our speakers, our panelists in preparing their wonderful interventions. Thank you very much. With that, we're going to close the Global Coalition Annual Forum for 2026, and we very much look forward to continuing this journey together.