DSG/SM/1543

Deputy Secretary-General Urges Active Participation of Workers’ Organizations, in Message for Trade Union Reference Manual on Reforms, Decent Work

Following is the text of Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message for the launch event of the Trade Union Reference Manual on United Nations Reforms and Decent Work, today:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues and friends,

I commend the International Labour Organization (ILO) and all of you for your hard work in launching this trade union reference manual.

The UN system is committed to human-centred progress and policies fully aligned with the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work.  Workers’ organizations are critical to promoting full and productive employment, decent work for all, social dialogue, social protection, and partnerships as key elements of national and global policies, and so much more.

Your initiative can help accelerate progress in this Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.  As we look to the challenges ahead, I invite workers organizations to fully engage with UN resident coordinators, Governments and employers’ organizations.

Your voice is central to integrating decent work and economic growth into all national development policies, trade and investments and budgetary processes.  Your input and partnership are also vital in ongoing national UN common country assessments and cooperation framework processes that are guiding the UN work on the ground.

I encourage you to participate in Agenda 2030 Voluntary National Report processes at the regional and global levels to guarantee that workers’ concerns and priorities are adequately addressed, including in social protection floors.  All of this is fundamental to delivering decent work, dignity, justice and security to working men and women across the world.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the gaps and highlighted the need for economic, political and social system transformation that respects people and planet.  We need the active participation of workers and their organizations to recover better and build forward together.

I want to once again commend you for all you are doing to help transform livelihoods, economies and jobs, ushering in a new era of a more inclusive, free, just and sustainable world.

Thank you.

For information media. Not an official record.