Prioritizing social justice and decent work as the driving forces for a human-centered recovery.

When the International Labour Organization was established in 1919, in the aftermath of the First World War, it was a time of political, social and economic turmoil in the world. Against that backdrop, the organization was founded on the conviction that universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based on social justice. That means fair and equal treatment for everyone, including equal access to opportunities, equal rights and the equal sharing of the benefits of growth. In the world of work, it means decent jobs, fair wages, labor rights, social dialogue, equality and social protection for all. We continue to live in a geopolitically unstable world, made worse by the impact of COVID-19, natural disasters and a cost-of-living crisis that is pushing more and more people into poverty. Combined, these factors have sent social progress backwards. Despite efforts to address these challenges, trends in inequality persist, with the richest 10% of the global population accounting for 52% of global income, while the poorest 50% have less than 7%. More than 200 million workers are in absolute poverty, and two billion workers are in the informal economy, lacking rights at work, representation, and access to social protection. Women and young people are faring worse than men and adults, with twice as many economically inactive women as men and a gender pay gap that continues to be one of the main forms of wage inequality. Given the importance of labor income in the rise or fall of inequality in many countries, the world of work is a critical entry point to start moving the social justice needle. For the ILO, this means prioritizing social justice and decent work as the driving forces for a human-centered recovery, as well as promoting increased investment in social policies and institutions. However, discussion and action to achieve social justice go beyond the ILO itself. As called for by the United Nations Secretary-General in Our Common Agenda, the international community urgently needs to support national responses to the many global challenges. Joint actions with a range of organizations and stakeholders are vital because social justice cuts across all sectors: health, education, food, water, housing, investments and trade, for example. It needs policy coherence at national, regional and global levels from a range of stakeholders, working together towards a common goal.