Guy Ryder, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), has praised the commitment of the Labour and Employment Ministers (LEMM) of the BRICS nations to promote green employment, invest in skill development, and protect workers in new forms of employment.

“Multiple global crises are unfolding in the world. This, in addition to increasing inequalities between and within countries, hampers more than ever our efforts to make labour markets more inclusive, sustainable and resilient,” said Ryder in his remarks to the ministers from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

"Amid growing risks of a further deterioration in labour markets throughout 2022,” Ryder told the ministers, “promoting green employment is key for addressing climate change and accelerating green, low-carbon sustainable development.”

“Investing in skills development for a resilient recovery and to make workers future-ready in the face of digitalisation, demographic shifts and decarbonization is equally imperative,” emphasised Ryder, who also underlined the importance of “supporting workers in new forms of employment by providing adequate social protection, actively promoting appropriate regulation.”

The LEMM Declaration, issued after the Ministers' meeting held on 14 July in Beijing, China, emphasises that "the global labour market is still under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with current and future challenges resulting from climate change, technological transition, and demographic shifts."

The proclamation specifies three goals for labour and employment policy responses to the pandemic: the promotion of green jobs for sustainable development, the development of skills for a resilient recovery, and the protection of workers' rights in new kinds of employment.

In their declaration, the BRICS Ministers "commit to acquire a deeper understanding of green jobs, to adopt policy measures for employment and human resources development that meet the needs of green growth, low-carbon and sustainable development, and to take advantage of the triple benefits of mitigating and adapting to climate change with a just transition for all."

Additionally, the declaration "supports greater inter-ministerial coordination and government policy support to encourage companies to increase investment in skills development, expand apprenticeship programmes, improve the quality and scope of work-based learning, and promote sustainable business development."

The LEMM Declaration, recalling the 2019 ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, emphasises the significance of supporting a "human-centred approach to define the future of work and preserve the rights of workers in new forms of employment."

Source: ILO

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