GENEVA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) will make its message that social justice is the key to unlocking the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) clear throughout its engagements at the upcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the events leading up to it, and stress that, in this pivotal moment, multilateralism must be depended on to shape a future of dignity, opportunity and inclusion.
UNGA is preceded by the Summit of the Future, taking place on 22 and 23 September, with Action Days taking place on 20 and 21 September. ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, will take part in the Summit and in the following UNGA High Level Week, from 24 to 30 September.
The 79th UNGA session marks a crucial milestone in the global effort to accelerate progress towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ILO’s involvement underscores its commitment to advancing social justice and promoting decent work. The UN agency will host and participate in several events spanning youth-led solutions for employment, social protection, AI and the digital age and a just and sustainable green transition, along with governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations.
On 18th September, the ILO co-hosted the high-level event, Pay of the Future: Solutions to close the gender pay gap with the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC). The event spotlighted successful policies, initiatives and tools to narrow the gender pay gap, at a time when women continue to earn less than men for work of equal value.
The ILO will also participate in a series of events at the much-anticipated Summit of the Future that will seek to address the critical challenges and gaps in global governance, laying the groundwork for a reinforced social dimension in multilateral cooperation. Through the Summit’s key outcomes the ILO will champion important advances in decent work, lifelong learning and a fair digital transition for all.
Between 20-21 September, the ILO will co-sponsor a series of sessions during the Summit’s Action Days, with a focus on future youth and action. This includes the Beautifully Diverse Exhibition, organized by the ILO International Training Centre, on 20 September, which celebrates diversity and advocates for the inclusion of the needs and contributions of persons with disabilities in future-focused initiatives, with particular attention to youth. Leveraging the use of virtual reality, the exhibition will display posters from international artists, offering visual interpretations challenging traditional perceptions of disabilities.
As global leaders convene for the Summit at the UN headquarters on 22-23 September, ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, will make a statement at the Plenary and the Interactive Dialogue Roundtables, emphasizing the critical role of social justice and decent work in shaping the future of work and driving sustainable development.
The following day, on Tuesday 24 September, the Director-General will join impact entrepreneurs and public and private sector intra-preneurs to discuss solutions that enable social enterprises, at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting; Supporting the Social Enterprise Ecosystem.
During a high-level panel discussion livestreamed from the UN headquarters in New York, the ILO will also present the latest edition of its World Social Protection Report, titled Universal Social Protection for Climate Action and a Just Transition, with a focus on how policies can drive the structural transformations necessary to support effective climate change mitigation efforts.
The ILO and its Director-General will also participate in several other high-level meetings during the week. These include an AI Opportunity Summit for UN Leaders, hosted by Microsoft on 22 September, the UN Private Sector Forum on 23 September, the G20 Second Foreign Ministers Meeting on 25 September, and a Meeting of the Group of Friends of Decent Work for Sustainable Development, which provides a vital platform for fostering collaboration among key stakeholders, strengthening partnerships, and advancing shared efforts to promote decent work as a cornerstone of sustainable development.
