Geneva

2025 ECOSOC Meeting on the Transition from Relief to Development

113th Session of the International Labour Conference

Closing of the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference

Switzerland

The Coalition’s Forum is the annual gathering of Coalition partners held in the margins of the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. It provides a space where partners can discuss thematic issues related to social justice, as well as the challenges, opportunities and potential solutions in respect of advancing the Coalition’s objectives. It also allows partners to exchange knowledge, tools and experiences, and to showcase activities and initiatives undertaken in support of social justice. This year’s Forum builds on the ongoing collaborative efforts led by partners to shape the thematic development of the Coalition. It will mark a new phase in the Coalition’s journey as a fully operational platform and provide a dynamic space for partner engagement. The programme combines high-level sessions with interactive parallel events and will highlight key Coalition interventions through a range of formats — including panel discussions, thematic dialogues, and partner-led conversations — tailored to the stage of progress of each intervention.

Voices from the Forum

Official website of the Global Coalition for Social Justice

Concept note and agenda of the Coalition forum 2025

The opening session, chaired by the President of the 113th International Labour Conference, will feature high-level addresses and present an overview of the Coalition's key achievements since June 2024.Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese and international sign language.&nbsp;

Opening session of the Annual Forum

Palais des Nations

Room XX

The panel will discuss the role that living wages can play in addressing broader systemic challenges including in-work poverty and income inequalities. It will also explore their potential to create more resilient local economies and the need to address the root causes of low pay. With increasing global attention to living wages, the session will showcase the initiative’s efforts to promote alignment with ILO principles for estimating and operationalizing living wages. This includes strengthening social dialogue and empowering wage-setting institutions. Partners will share their experiences and ambitions. Their contributions will reinforce sustainable development and social justice.&nbsp;Over half of the global workforce are wage earners, making wages the primary income source for many households. Over the years, there have been positive trends in real wages, with real wages increasing more rapidly in developing countries than in high-income countries. Yet millions of workers earn wages too low to afford a decent standard of living. In response, the number of living wage initiatives has risen sharply, reflecting a growing recognition that decent wages are central to economic and social development and essential in ensuring a decent and dignified life and in advancing social justice.&nbsp;&nbsp;Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese and international sign language.

Key interventions Spotlight - Living wages: A driver of social and economic development   

This session draws on recent initiatives and provides a platform to assess progress and strengthen social dialogue in climate and development frameworks.&nbsp;The transition to environmentally sustainable, resilient economies is a defining challenge of this decade. Success depends not only on climate ambition, but on how transitions are governed and financed. Global efforts to address the climate crisis and build resilient economies rely on just transitions that promote inclusive growth, business development, and job creation. However, many transitions remain technocratic or top-down, risking the exclusion of workers, employers, and communities. Social dialogue and investment frameworks are essential, yet too often disconnected in national strategies.&nbsp;Most climate strategies, including NDCs and JETPs, lack strong provisions for social dialogue or engagement of social partners. Workers’ and employers’ organizations are frequently excluded from critical investment and policy processes. Social dialogue is vital for building trust and shaping fair, inclusive solutions rooted in decent work. Despite its value, it remains underused in climate policies, finance mechanisms, and global cooperation.&nbsp;Interpretation available in English, Spanish and French.

Partners conversation - Fostering a just transition through social dialogue

Room XXIII

This panel discussion will highlight how the private sector contributes to better jobs, inclusive growth, and social justice. It will examine the role of governments and social partners in creating an enabling environment for responsible business. The financial sector’s influence through investment and lending decisions will also be addressed. The session will showcase how enterprises—both multinational and small—are adopting responsible business practices. These efforts are guided by international standards like the UN Guiding Principles and the ILO MNE Declaration. Employers’ and workers’ organizations and other stakeholders play a critical role in promoting and supporting responsible business.&nbsp;The Responsible Business Conduct agenda has become increasingly important in promoting an inclusive and comprehensive approach to sustainability across enterprises of all sizes. At the same time, there is growing recognition of the need to strengthen the social dimension of sustainable finance frameworks, including ESG criteria, and to foster models that balance social, environmental, and economic goals. These efforts are being driven forward by the Global Coalition for Social Justice and its partners, who are committed to ensuring that sustainability translates into real benefits for workers, enterprises, and communities.&nbsp;Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese and international sign language.

Key interventions Spotlight - Responsible business for inclusive and sustainable societies

The Human Rights Economy (HRE) offers both a guiding framework and an operational approach for&nbsp;embedding human- and related labour rights - into economic and social policymaking. It promotes equitable access to resources, addresses inequality and discrimination, and calls for&nbsp;inclusive institutions, social protection and supports systems that uphold the rights of both service providers and recipients.&nbsp;The HRE aims to ensure that no one is left behind by integrating rights into every dimension of economic policy. It is articulated&nbsp;around ten transformative pathways, including global financial reforms, progressive taxation, combating corruption, and curbing illicit financial flows. These measures are designed to expand fiscal space, support inclusive development, combat inequalities, and align economic systems and policies with human rights obligations.&nbsp;The HRE bridges the gap between economic growth and social justice by embedding rights in national and global economic policies. It supports international commitments, informs global policy discussions, and develops tools to integrate rights into fiscal and governance systems. Aligned with the 2030 Agenda, the HRE offers a vision of justice, sustainability, and inclusion. It serves as a key instrument for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through rights-based, transformative change.&nbsp;Interpretation available in English, Spanish and French&nbsp;

Partners conversation - Human rights economy 

Chaired by the President of the International Labour Conference, the closing session will feature high-level addresses and providing a space for partners to reaffirm their commitments, outline concrete next steps and reinforce the Coalition’s collective ambition to advance social justice through impact-driven interventions at national, regional and global level.&nbsp;Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese and international sign language.&nbsp;

Annual Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice

Full schedule

Thursday, 12 June 2025