The International Labour Organization (ILO) has welcomed the outcomes of the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting (LEMM), held under India's 2026 BRICS Chairmanship with the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability" and focused on digitally empowered labour markets.
Ministers discussed four priorities: advancing social security and the formalization of labour markets; enhancing women's participation and inclusion in the workforce; cooperation on employability, skills mapping and skills development; and leveraging digital technologies to protect all workers, including gig and platform workers.
ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo commended India's leadership for placing labour and employment at the heart of the BRICS agenda.
"The priorities identified could not be more timely," he said in a video message delivered to the meeting.
Mr Houngbo also praised India's success in extending social protection to a large majority of its citizens. "This milestone offers lessons that can be shared through South-South cooperation," he added.
The Ministers committed to progressively expanding social protection coverage in line with national circumstances, while recognizing the importance of sustainable financing, labour market formalization and improved social security benefits for workers through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Women's participation in the labour market was another major focus. The ILO welcomed BRICS discussions on investing in the care economy, expanding access to skills and lifelong learning, ensuring equal pay, preventing violence and harassment in the world of work, and promoting women's entrepreneurship and leadership.
According to ILO estimates, investment in a universal care policy package in BRICS countries could generate around 165 million jobs by 2030. Such investments can increase women's employment, reduce gender pay gaps and stimulate economic growth.
On skills and employability, BRICS countries discussed how to strengthen labour market intelligence, improve skills forecasting and make training systems more responsive to demand in green, digital and care economies. Ministers also took note of the ongoing ILO feasibility study, undertaken with India and Brazil, on an International Reference Classification of Occupations to support cooperation in these emerging sectors.
The meeting also addressed the potential of digital technologies to improve worker protection. ILO and ISSA analysis identified key digital enablers including simplified worker registration, contribution collection, benefits management, identity verification, digital payments, mobile access, skills profiling, career guidance and job matching. The paper stressed that digitalization must be inclusive, rights-based and supported by strong governance, data protection and institutional capacity.
"Well-governed digital transformation can expand decent work opportunities and ensure that innovation serves people, not the other way around," Mr Houngbo said. "The recent adoption of ILO Convention No. 193 on decent work in the platform economy shows how countries can navigate changes while protecting workers' rights."
India's priorities were reflected in the adoption of BRICS CONNECT - the BRICS Cooperation Network for Capacity Building, Employability, New Skills and Technology. The platform builds on the existing BRICS Social Security Virtual Liaison Office (BRICS VLO) and provides a streamlined and flexible framework for cooperation on social security, skills development, women's workforce participation and digitalization. The Outcome Declaration welcomes BRICS CONNECT as a platform to support South-South cooperation, knowledge exchange and capacity development.
Ministers welcomed the technical support provided by the ILO and ISSA and expressed their commitment to continuing close cooperation with both organizations.
The ILO reaffirmed its readiness to continue supporting BRICS members through technical advice, labour market data and policy analysis, capacity development and South-South and triangular cooperation in advancing decent work priorities. The BRICS intergovernmental organization comprises 11 member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
