BANGKOK (ILO News) - Nine Heads of State and government from Asia and the Pacific, as well as prominent employers’ and trade union leaders took part in global discussions on COVID-19 and the World of Work, held online on 8-9 July.

Leaders from all regions, as well as UN Secretary-General António Guterres and chiefs of other UN and international agencies addressed the summit via video messages on www.ilo.org/global-summit 

The summit was the largest ever online gathering of workers, employers and governments. Participants discussed how to address the economic and social impact of the pandemic, which has laid bare the extreme vulnerability of millions of workers and enterprises.

The Global Summit examined a range of issues, including:

• How to promote full and productive employment in this new environment.
• What needs to be done to address the massive vulnerabilities in the world of work made evident by the pandemic.
• Which workers require particular support and attention.
• How to position the reduction and elimination of poverty as central objectives of the recovery process.
• How the international community can come together with real common purpose and rededicate itself to the delivery of the UN’s 2030 Agenda.

The first stage of the global summit took place 1-2 July, with a series of virtual regional events covering the Asia-Pacific and other regions. Representatives from governments, employers, workers, and academia, discussed the huge costs of the COVID-19 pandemic to their economies, labour markets and societies, and how different countries have responded.

On 9 July, labour ministers, workers’ and employers’ leaders from ILO member States reflected on the previous days’ events and discussed the implementation of the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work in the context of the pandemic.

For further information and to arrange media interviews, please contact the ILO Department of Communication: newsroom@ilo.org.