ILO urges renewed commitment to equality, inclusion
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The International Labour Organization has called for a renewed global commitment to decent jobs, equality, and social inclusion ahead of the Second World Summit for Social Development, which will be held in Qatar from November 4 to 6, 2025.
The ILO said the summit would be a defining moment to reaffirm the principles of the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and to advance a new global social contract that places people at the centre of sustainable progress. The renewed focus, it added, would rest on three interlinked pillars: poverty eradication, decent work for all, and social inclusion.
Building on the outcomes of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development held in Seville in July, which urged greater investment in social policies and expansion of social protection coverage by at least two percentage points annually, the ILO said it intends to turn these global commitments into tangible results.
In its recent report, The State of Social Justice: A Work in Progress, the organisation noted that while the world is wealthier and healthier than three decades ago, progress has been uneven. Child labour among 5- to 14-year-olds has fallen from 20 to 10 per cent, and extreme poverty from 39 to 10 per cent, but inequality reduction has stalled.
The report also highlighted that 58 per cent of workers remain in informal jobs, women’s labour force participation is 24 percentage points lower than men’s, and the global gender pay gap may take a century to close if current trends persist.
“The world has achieved progress since Copenhagen, but it has not been fair or inclusive enough,” the ILO said. “The summit offers an opportunity to rebuild trust and renew multilateral cooperation that truly delivers on social justice and decent work.”As the custodian agency for Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth, the ILO said it will collaborate with governments, employers, and workers to implement the summit’s outcomes through its tripartite structure.
Its priorities include supporting countries to integrate job creation and sustainable enterprises into poverty reduction strategies, expanding universal social protection systems, and promoting full, productive, and freely chosen employment supported by fair labour standards.
The ILO also aims to strengthen the care economy, encourage fairer digital and green transitions, and ensure equal rights and access to decent work for vulnerable groups such as women, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, and migrants.
Through its flagship initiatives, the Global Coalition for Social Justice and the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, the organisation said it would continue to help countries translate the Doha and Seville commitments into measurable progress.
“The ILO remains committed to ensuring that multilateral action delivers results for people and communities,” the organisation said. “Renewed commitment to jobs, equality, and inclusion is essential to build a fairer and more resilient global economy.”
