GENEVA – It is easy to despair in these difficult and uncertain times. Instability is increasing and conflict is playing out on our screens every day. The post-Covid economic recovery is proving to be uneven and uneven. Women and the poorest benefit least from recent gains. Although the average global unemployment rate is expected to fall slightly this year, from 5% in 2023 to 4.9% in line with projections, there are still persistent deficiencies in terms of good work.
For example, only 45.6% of women of working age (15-64 years) have a confirmed job, compared to 69.2% of men. In high-income countries, women still earn just 73 cents on average for every dollar earned by men. In low-income countries, this figure drops to 44 cents.
At the same time, the climate crisis continues to wreak havoc on the planet and vulnerable communities. AN twelve finally month It was the hottest ever recorded, which greatly affected the lives, livelihoods and health of billions of people. Excessive heat alone affects 2.4 billion people – or 70% of the world’s working population. She almost kills 19,000 workers every year.
In addition, due to drought and other factors, hunger is spreading and basic needs are going unfulfilled. The product of development seems to have been monopolized by a privileged few. And as if all these developments were not enough, the wars and conflicts that have already cost millions of innocent lives seem to have intensified.
There is no reason why this should be. A much better approach to development, climate action and global governance would focus on social justice. This principle is the key to a better and fairer world. This is the common thread of theThe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development The United Nations. But it is usually framed abstractly, rather than as a concrete policy objective.
This is what needs to change. Social justice must be pursued with the same urgency and level of commitment as a direct energy transition and fairer trade rules. These goals are of course interdependent, as progress on each will help us progress on the others.
We cannot achieve social justice unless we protect workers and businesses from the harmful effects of climate change. We cannot have sustainable trade if there are no jobs in factories and on adequate supply chains, with basic job guarantees and decent wages. We cannot guarantee that our societies will remain peaceful if people cannot support themselves and their families through their work. Similarly, there can be no prosperity without peace, and wars are often rooted in poverty, environmental degradation and other manifestations of injustice.
But to make progress in any of these areas, we will need stronger policies to promote equality, rights and inclusion in labor markets and beyond. This means ensuring equal access to suitable jobs, high quality healthcare and education, skills training and lifelong learning, as well as a safe and healthy environment.
To realize the demand for social justice, we must mobilize all those who believe in the power of collaboration, cooperation, social communication and multilateralism. There Global Coalition for Social Justiceto keep his forum the first time in Geneva last June, is a good example. More than 300 partners have already joined this initiative which brings together governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations, international UN and regional organisations, regional development banks, businesses, NGOs and academic institutions, convinced that very inclusive policies must be implemented at all levels. governance – global, regional, national and local.
We find ourselves at a historic moment. Next year, the global community will have an opportunity to advance the cause of social justice when the United Nations convenes the second world conference for social development. The aim is to help all countries to align their efforts with international commitments, including those identified in the Sustainable Development Goals. Governments and civil society leaders will have the opportunity to work to ensure that everyone benefits from adequate and universal social protections and that all people and communities are equipped with the necessary skills, education and knowledge them to deal with major economic and global upheaval trends.
We are committed to doing our part and being a catalyst for progress, through the Global Coalition for Social Justice, at the global summit and beyond. We invite others to join us. The future does not have to be like the present, but it will be if we adopt a new way of thinking, focusing on policy priorities that include the question of social justice.
Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director General of the International Labor Organization and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2024.
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