Objective

The objective of the Expert Group Meeting is to discuss key challenges and obstacles encountered in achieving employment and decent work, and arrive at policy recommendations in these areas. Towards this end, the meeting will share national and regional experiences and highlight good practices and lessons learned with a view to improving policies to promote employment and decent work. It is expected that the meeting will result in a brief report summarizing the key points discussed and set out specific policy recommendations and suggestions.

The outcome of the meeting will provide inputs for the report of the Secretary-General to be submitted to the forty-sixth session of the Commission for Social Development in February 2008. The Commission for Social Development, one of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council, is an intergovernmental body with primary responsibility for considering issues related to global social development, including follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development.

The forty-fifth session of the Commission in 2007 initiated the two-year action-oriented implementation cycle consisting of a review segment followed by a policy segment. The chosen priority theme is “Promoting full employment and decent work for all”. The outcome of the review segment was in the form of a Chairman’s summary (attached). The policy segment is expected to result in a negotiated outcome with action-oriented policy recommendations.

Summary of discussions of the Expert Group Meeting, held in October 2007, which examined the priority theme for the review session of the Commission is attached.

Background Notes

International policies for creating an enabling environment conducive to employment and promotion of decent work

National Policies for Creating an Enabling Environment Conducive to Employment and Promotion of Decent Work

Skills, employability and social inclusion

Policies to promote social protection for all

Standards and regulatory policies

Background Documents

The Chairman's Summary from the Commission for Social Development 45th Session

Summary of The Report on the World Social Situation 2007 (RWSS)
[A] [C] [E] [F] [R] [S]

Follow-up to the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the 24th Special Session of the General Assembly 
[A] [C] [E] [F] [R] [S]

Papers

1. Introduction and overview, Keynote speaker:

• Dr. Drusilla K. Brown

2. International policies for creating an enabling environment conducive to employment and promotion of decent work:

• Mr. Robert Holzmann
• Mr. Robert Kyloh
  

3. National policies for creating an enabling environment conducive to employment and promotion of decent work:

• Dr. Nagaraj Rayaprolu
• Dr. Ivan Turok
• Mr. Yadong Wang

4. Skills, employability and social inclusion:

• Dr. Martha Chen
• Dr. Caglar Keyder
• Dr. Yaw Nyarko

5. Policies to promote social protection for all:

• Mr. Carlos Grushka
• Dr. Martha Chen

6. Standards and regulatory policies:

• Mr. Arnold Hemmann
• Dr. Jill Murray
• Dr. Katherine van Wezel Stone