Putting decent work at the heart of the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Apolinário Jorge Correia, Chairperson of the ILO Governing Body on why full employment and decent work will be key for sustainable development in the post-2015 era.

Comment | 12 November 2014
Jorge Correia, Chairperson of the ILO Governing Body - November 2014
Following unprecedented global consultations, setting the development agenda to follow the Millennium Development Goals after 2015, has reached its critical stage. Intergovernmental negotiations will now help determine the final list of sustainable development goals (SDGs) for the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

One thing is clear from the various national and international consultations and surveys, jobs are a common and pressing concern for people of all nations. The Open Working Group on the SDGs took this on board and in July included “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all” as number 8 of their 17 proposed goals.

Decent work is that which provides fair social, human and economic conditions for workers."

The ILO believes that the opportunity for people worldwide to find a decent job is vital if we are to achieve sustainable development in the Post-2015 era. Decent work is that which provides fair social, human and economic conditions for workers.

Right now we are seeing a disjuncture between the economic system and social system, especially for those 202 million people worldwide trapped in unemployment and the millions more who do any job they can find just to survive.

The world was hit hard by the financial crisis and its impact is still being felt by some countries. This is a social problem, which may have unpredictable consequences for the future. You cannot ensure peace and stability without a sense of social justice and without peace and stability there is no development.

Decent work is in everyone’s interests

A goal on decent work and inclusive growth is in the interest of the working world, including governments, employers, as well as workers. As the tripartite members of the ILO, these are also the actors that can move the decent work agenda forward.

In the next months the ILO will collectively need to convince international negotiators in New York to maintain proposed goal 8 on full employment and decent work in the final Post-2015 Development Agenda. The newly formed group of Friends of Decent Work will serve as a political platform for the exchange of views as these negotiations take place.

A goal on decent work and inclusive growth is in the interest of the working world."

The Group’s 29 members include countries from all regions and different levels of development, with Angola and Belgium as joint chair. The group shares the belief that the search for better jobs and opportunities for decent work is a joint effort, for developed and developing countries alike, and that in order to be credible, the development agenda post-2015 must meet this challenge.

A goal for Africa and a goal for all

Decent work is an important goal for Africa and based on its experience, Angola will play its part in the Group of Friends. In Africa, we have made good progress in reducing poverty but still have a long way to go. It is clear that the more people who have access to a decent job, the quicker we will lift everyone above the extreme poverty line. This is a goal not just for Africa but for all countries in the world.

Today the ILO has decent work as an objective, as we aim for more just and stable societies. In 2015 the world needs to embrace this goal and ensure that people everywhere have the opportunity to live with dignity and provide for themselves and their families. This would be truly sustainable development.

H.E. Ambassador Apolinário Jorge Correia is Permanent Representative of Angola to the United Nations in Geneva, and current Chairperson of the ILO Governing Body.