5th Employment Policy Research Symposium, 11-12 May 2023

Employment policies for social justice

The 2023 Symposium, organized in partnership with the European Commission's (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC), focuses on the theme of employment policies and social justice. The Symposium will highlight the latest thinking on how integrated national employment policies tailored to the circumstances of countries promote inclusive transitions and social justice.

Background

National employment policies should encompass all elements of a comprehensive framework, including supportive macroeconomic policies as well sustained public and private investment in people and the economy. They need to complement social protection policies to ensure that structural transformation and other economic growth factors do not leave anyone behind. Policy coherence and coordination are a condition for progress, whether to react to immediate crises or long-term economic and social challenges. At the same time, international cooperation and policy coherence is an important condition for making inclusive structural transformation processes possible everywhere and helping to overcome the increased divergence between the developed and the developing world.

Innovative research, including research done in partnership with the ILO and the JRC as part of the EU funded project “Building Partnerships on the Future of Work ” extended the wealth of knowledge over the last years. These results will feed into the debates during the symposium about the right policies to ensure inclusive transitions and social justice through comprehensive and integrated employment policies.

Objectives

  • Discuss policy solutions for social justice through decent work for inclusive development in the context of widening inequalities and multiple crises;
  • Identify what works and discuss innovative policy approaches to supporting inclusive transitions and social justice;
  • Take stock of the latest research on economic and employment policies and their nexus, including recent results from the ILO-EU joint project on “Building partnerships for the future of work” ;
  • Identify key items for future policy research; and,
  • Strengthen partnerships and foster a global knowledge network among policymakers, social partners international experts, the donor community, academia.
The Symposium will also provide the occasion to launch the second ILO Global Employment Policy Review (GEPR) report.