The Global Coalition for Social Justice has called for accelerated action to translate international commitments on jobs, wages, social protection and inclusive development into measurable results at country level.

The call formed part of the outcome of the coalition’s annual forum in Geneva, where representatives of governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations, international and regional institutions, development banks, businesses, academia and civil society reviewed progress and announced new initiatives.

With more than 400 partners now involved in the coalition, participants stressed the need to move beyond political commitments and dialogue towards practical implementation capable of delivering tangible improvements in people’s lives.

Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Gilbert Houngbo, said the coalition had entered a new phase in which partners were increasingly expected to drive action and take ownership of results.

“The need for social justice remains immense. But we are not powerless. The coalition has moved from building a platform to using it, and partners are increasingly driving action and owning the results,” he said.

The forum highlighted efforts by governments and institutions to address employment, skills development, labour rights, living wages, social protection, equal pay and the impact of artificial intelligence on workers.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also highlighted joint ILO-OHCHR initiatives, including planned training in Kenya to strengthen national accountability mechanisms alongside labour-law reform, as well as work in Uzbekistan applying a human-rights approach to public budgeting.

Academic partners, represented by the Geneva Graduate Institute, Stellenbosch University and the University of Panama, called for stronger links between research and policy and offered their expertise to support implementation.

They urged partners to translate collective commitments into action at country level, intensify knowledge-sharing and ensure that social justice remains central to the development framework beyond 2030.

The President of the International Organisation of Employers, Jacqueline Mugo, said the coalition should identify what works, connect relevant actors around practical problems and turn dialogue into implementation.

General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Luc Triangle, similarly stressed the need for cooperation capable of producing results visible in the lives of working people.

Countries participating in the forum reported progress on employment and training policies, labour-code reform, occupational safety and health, and social protection in agricultural supply chains.

The Adecco Group announced plans to provide artificial intelligence literacy training to about 80,000 employees, while highlighting opportunities for stronger collaboration on skills and worker-centred technological transformation.

The forum ended with a call for partners to deepen their contributions to the coalition’s key interventions, share practical experience, develop new collaborative initiatives and mobilise expertise, networks and resources around nationally defined priorities.