At the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting (LEMM) in George, South Africa, ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, welcomed the adoption of new commitments to address labour market inequality and advance social justice through decent work.
Meeting under the theme Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability, G20 Labour Ministers adopted the Nelson Mandela Bay Youth Target. Building on the significant progress made toward the G20 2014 Antalya Goal, this pledge to reduce the share of young people aged 15-29 not in employment, education or training (NEET) by a further 5 per cent by 2030 marks a clear commitment to integrate young people into labour markets.
The Declaration calls for stronger youth employment strategies, improved access to technical and vocational education and training, reinforced efforts to promote youth entrepreneurship, and targeted support for disadvantaged groups, including young women and youth with disabilities.
The Ministers also endorsed a new Brisbane-eThekwini Goal, pledging to continue efforts to reduce the gender labour force participation gap by 25 per cent by 2030. It also raised the level of ambition by committing to reduce the gender pay gap by 15 per cent by 2035. To achieve these targets, they committed to advancing equal pay for work of equal value, investing in quality care services, and addressing structural barriers that prevent women's full participation in the labour market.
"Your commitments to action can chart new paths to social justice through decent work, inspiring further work in other countries whose economies face similar, or indeed at times greater, challenges," said Houngbo in his keynote address.
The ILO Director-General stressed that reducing gender gaps in labour force participation and improving youth employment were not just moral imperatives; they also present real economic opportunities. "These gaps remind us there is incredible untapped potential across the G20 to grow economies, foster inclusion and improve living standards," he said.
Drawing on technical support from the ILO, the Ministerial Declaration highlights the importance of freedom of association, collective bargaining and tripartite social dialogue in ensuring workers receive a fair share of productivity gains, of closing digital divides, and of leveraging the digital transformation to improve efficiency, accessibility and transparency in the delivery of social protection. Ministers also welcomed ongoing ILO standard-setting discussions on decent work in the platform economy.
The Ministers welcomed the ILO-OECD Women at Work and Youth at Work reports, presented during the meeting, and called on both organisations to continue tracking progress on the new goals.
"We must be bolder," the Director-General concluded. "To act with solidarity, to foster equality and to pursue sustainability, is to move social justice from commitment to action, from a mandate to a lived reality for all."
The G20 Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting took place on 30-31 July in George, South Africa.
