14 June 2013: The global thematic consultation on growth and employment in the post-2015 development agenda culminated in a Thematic Event, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and the Government of Japan.
The Thematic Event on Employment and Inclusive Growth in the Post-2015 Development Agenda took place on 14 June 2013, at the Japan Society in New York, US. It included sessions assessing: the main outcomes of the post-2015 global thematic consultations on growth and employment; pathways to setting targets and measuring progress; and the renewal of a global partnership for inclusive growth. It also invited feedback on the draft thematic report on growth and employment, and provided substantive recommendations on how the post-2015 development agenda can deliver inclusive growth, decent work, social protection and productive employment for all. The results of the growth and employment consultation will feed into the UN’s overall post-2015 process.
Participants expressed the need for an ambitious growth and employment goal supported by specific targets in the post-2015 development agenda. They called for inclusive growth, the smooth transition toward decent jobs and integration of informal work into the formal sector. Participants noted the need to ensure that fragile states and countries emerging from conflicts have the capacity to support small enterprises and create jobs, allowing for a more stable social contract to emerge. They also urged the creation of quantitative targets, better collection of data, improved capacity for tracking progress, and formulation of workable, clear and measurable targets. Participants highlighted the need to address inequalities, reform unfair tax systems, revitalize Official Development Assistance, improve international trade and financing rules, and integrate sustainable development considerations in decision- and policy-making.
Led by the ILO and UNDP, the overall consultation on growth and employment has focused on four specific areas: sustainability and growth; development-led globalization; growth, diversification and structural change; and jobs and livelihoods. It included moderated e-discussions on each of these topics, as well as a high-level global expert meeting in May 2012, facilitated by the Government of Japan. UNDP and ILO also solicited inputs through an Advisory Group on Growth and Employment in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, comprised of representatives from UN bodies, and non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations. These inputs formed the basis for a draft thematic report on growth and employment in the post-2015 development agenda, which is open for comments until 21 June 2012.
The consultation was one of 11 initiated by the UN in preparation for the post-2015 development agenda. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage] [Growth and Employment in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Key Messages from the Thematic Consultation] [IISD RS Story on E-discussions] [IISD RS Coverage of Global Thematic Consultations]