The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has emphasised how advancing decent work and social justice are pivotal to addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advancements, demographic shifts and climate crises to economies.
ILO Director-General, Gilbert Houngbo, stated that in his address at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Special Meeting on ‘The future of work: Towards a productive, inclusive and sustainable global society.’ He said the special meeting of the ECOSOC focuses on issues close to the ILO’s foundation, bringing countries, workers and employers together to build a more inclusive and sustainable world through decent work and social justice for all.He said as economies face significant technological changes and demographic challenges, there is an urgent need to address the climate crisis.
Despite the challenges, the ILO chief said there are opportunities, nations could harness. On technology, Houngbo said that generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) would affect blue-collar, white-collar and high-skilled jobs.
However, he said the share of global employment that could be “augmented” by generative AI was much bigger than the share of jobs threatened by automation.
According to him, ILO estimates that between 10 to 13 per cent of jobs across all country income groups will be impacted.
“This is why social protection and proper training are crucial if we are to support workers around the world. To turn them into opportunities we need to create enough decent jobs for young people in growing societies, as well as for older workers in ageing societies. Despite the challenges before us, there are opportunities we can harness,” he said.
Firstly, the ILO chief said nations needed a workforce that is adaptable, resilient and has the technical and soft skills to address these challenges.
He urged that the governments, educational institutions, the private sector, social partners and individuals must work together to provide accessible and flexible learning opportunities, enabling everyone to contribute to economic and social development.
He also called on the need to prioritise creating decent jobs as a fundamental step for better social justice, as well as inclusivity and equal access.
According to him, inclusivity will build a stronger job market and more stable societies. He urged that policymakers should anticipate changes, create supportive legal frameworks and strengthen institutions.
This, Houngbo said, includes good labour laws, extensive social protection for all workers and effective dialogue among governments, employers, workers and stakeholders.
“Our objective is crystal clear: to tackle the challenges ahead, we must prioritise lifelong learning, decent work and inclusive institutions. We are ready to intensify our contributions to this social endeavour. We have the chance to reshape the world we live in – economically, socially and environmentally. Let us take this opportunity and move forward to build equitable and resilient societies,” he added.
