ILO Director-General: Policies must be people-centered

Director-General of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Gilbert F. Houngbo affirmed this when referring to International Labor Day (May 1).

Three years into the Covid-19 crisis, followed by inflation, conflict and food and fuel supply shocks, the pandemic’s promises of innovation to “build back better” have so far not been fulfilled for the vast majority of workers around the world , according to Gilbert F. Houngbo.

Globally, real wages have fallen, poverty has risen, and inequality seems more severe than ever.

Businesses have been hit hard, with many succumbing to the cumulative impact of recent unforeseen events. Small and micro businesses have been hit particularly hard, with many having to shut down.

Tổng Giám đốc ILO: Các chính sách phải lấy con người là trung tâm - 1 — Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Gilbert F. Houngbo (Photo: ILO).

“Many feel that their sacrifices to overcome Covid-19 have not been acknowledged, let alone rewarded. Their voices have not been fully heard. This reality, combined with a perceived lack of opportunity, has created a worrying level of mistrust.

It doesn't have to be this way. We are still masters of our own destiny. But to shape a new world that is more stable and fair, we must choose a different path. A path that prioritizes social justice," the Director-General of the International Labour Organization shared.

According to Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, for a sustainable and stable future, our policies and actions must first be people-centered, allowing people to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, economic security and equal opportunity.

This approach is not new, it was proposed and agreed upon after World War II, when international members of the ILO signed the Philadelphia Declaration in 1944.

This visionary document sets out guiding principles for our economic and social systems that should not be focused solely on achieving certain growth rates or other statistical targets but should address human needs and aspirations.

This means focusing on tackling inequality, eradicating poverty and providing core social protection. The most effective way to do this is to create quality jobs that enable people to support themselves and build their own futures – “Decent Work for All”, as Sustainable Development Goal 8 calls it.

It means realistically addressing the long-term structural transformations of our time; ensuring that new technologies create and support jobs; proactively confronting the challenges of climate change and ensuring we provide the jobs, skills training and transition support needed for workers and businesses to benefit from the new low-carbon era; treating demographic change as a “bonus” rather than a problem, with supporting action on skills, migration and social protection to create more cohesive and resilient societies.

The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) said that we need to reassess and reform the structures of our economic and social systems so that they support change towards social justice, instead of continuing to push us into a "dark cycle" of inequality and instability.

“We must strengthen labour institutions and organisations for effective and robust social dialogue. We need to review laws and regulations affecting the world of work to ensure they are relevant and up to date and can protect workers and support sustainable businesses.

To achieve all this, we need to remain committed to international cooperation and solidarity. We must redouble our efforts and create greater policy coherence, especially within the multilateral system, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for,” wrote Gilbert F. Houngbo.

This is where a Global Alliance for Social Justice is needed, he stressed, which would provide a platform to bring together a range of international agencies and stakeholders. It would put social justice at the heart of the global recovery, prioritizing it in national, regional and global policies and actions.

“We have an opportunity to reshape the world we live in – economically, socially and environmentally. Let us seize this opportunity and move forward to build equitable and resilient societies that will lay the foundation for lasting peace and social justice,” emphasized Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo.

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