The World of Work Summit 2023: Social Justice for All is a high-level forum for global voices to address the need for increased, coordinated and coherent action in support of social justice. It will provide an opportunity to discuss and inform the proposal to forge a Global Coalition for Social Justice, which was welcomed by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office at its 347th Session (March 2023).
The 2-day Summit will highlight the key role of social justice in creating a more sustainable and equitable world and will discuss strategies for increased and better-aligned joint action to advance social justice and ensure policy coherence. It will provide a forum for participants to share their vision of, and priorities for, social justice and to showcase the actions they are taking and they commit to take to advance social justice. It is expected that the outcomes of the Summit will inform discussions in other multilateral forums of the centrality of and strategies to achieve greater social justice, such as, in 2023, the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, the G20 and the summits of the BRICS countries.
The Summit will be held over two days and will feature:
- Addresses by Heads of State and Government, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the ILO Director-General and high-level representatives of employers’ and workers’ organizations
- Four panel discussions with high-level representatives of governments and employers’ and workers’ organizations, UN entities and other international organizations to identify and amplify actions towards social justice across the multilateral system and commit to a joint, coherent and coordinated engagement.
Opening - Addresses by Heads of State - Panel on Addressing inequalities, informality and facilitating inclusion
The multiple crises the world has faced in recent years have highlighted the extent of pre-existing inequalities and the consequences. These crises have led to further increases in different types of inequality, and the most disadvantaged populations have often been the hardest hit.
Addressing inequality and informality requires combined, coordinated and coherent interventions and a policy mix aimed at prioritizing employment creation, protection of workers’ rights, non-discrimination and non-stigmatization, equal opportunities, access to basic needs and essential services (such as water, food, shelter, health services, energy) and fair distribution of the fruits of progress to combat inequality and realize social justice.
The panel will hear from Governments, employers and workers and UN agencies from all regions about global and national responses to these challenges, as well as concrete, coordinated and coherent actions needed to accelerate the advancement of social justice.
