- CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY -

Thank you, Chair.I speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. The Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia[1], Montenegro*, Serbia* and Albania* and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, as well as the Republic of Moldova, Armenia align themselves with this statement.

The creation of decent work opportunities and productive employment for young people is an integral part for the achievement of SDG 8. The ILO has shown a long-standing commitment to promoting decent work for youth. This commitment was clearly reaffirmed by the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work.

However, as the world is currently facing an unprecedented challenge due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of the measures and policies set in ILO’s Global Jobs Pact is vital.  According to the “ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world of work” -4th edition-, youth are being disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and the substantial and rapid increase of youth unemployment is affecting especially young women. 

Moreover, the pandemic has accelerated changes in the world of work and automation and digitalisation of production and services are reshaping the labour market, with young people being overrepresented in non-standard jobs such as platform or “gig” work, which often lack access to adequate social protection. Teleworking also presents specific challenges for young people. We recall the guidance given by the Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience Recommendation (No. 205), underlining that support should be provided also to young people who have been made particularly vulnerable by the crisis. 

The ILO has a central role in the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, which is a powerful means to achieve the youth employment targets of the 2030 Agenda and to build partnerships and international policy coherence. The EU also welcomes the work carried out so far by the ILO in the creation of knowledge and in producing flagship reports, such as the Global Employment Trends for Youth 2020.

With regard to the realization of targets 8.5, 8.6 and 8.b. of the Agenda 2030, much work remains to be done. Therefore, we would very much like to see a comprehensive and ambitious Follow-up plan of action on youth employment 2020-30 of the ILO that not only builds upon the lessons learned but introduces concrete measures that address the current extraordinary situation, caused by COVID-19, as well as takes into account the challenges and opportunities arising from the changing world of work. 

The EU and its Member States strongly encourage targeted and enhanced actions to be put in place under the three clusters of the new plan. The Follow-up plan should give even greater impetus to the efforts of the ILO and its constituents for supporting youth employment. It is important to address the mismatch between job demand and supply at the labour market by ensuring that young people acquire adequate skills and training. Specific efforts need focusing on the situation of young people Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETs) for which the report shows that initiatives such as that EU Youth guarantee, currently in the process to be reinforced, can have high impact

We welcome the proposal for organization of a tripartite global youth forum in 2025 to evaluate the status of attainment of youth employment-related targets of the 2030 Agenda and the progress made post COVID-19. We also underline the importance of regional and global partnerships on youth employment, including with UNICEF, UNESCO, United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development, World Bank, FAO, ITU, and other stakeholders, and encourage the Office to coordinate and join efforts with them. We also call for enhanced implementation of the United Nations Youth 2030 Strategy as a guiding framework for the UN for addressing the needs and advancing the rights of young people. 

The EU and its Member States urge the Office to develop and implement results-oriented indicators at outcome level, whilst pointing out the importance of effective allocation of resources and accountability with regard to the implementation of the Follow-up plan of action on youth employment 2020-30. 

Having said that, we would mark some points that we would also like to see in the plan together with the elements already proposed by the Office. The plan should reflect actions in support of work-life balance, which is particularly relevant also in the context of the current situation with regard to COVID-19 and the digital transformation of the world of work. Equally, the gender equality dimension should be strengthened to encourage young women into a wider choice of education paths and occupations and to enable them to harness all their potential. 

Chair, we are convinced that the Follow-up plan of action on youth employment 2020-30 is much needed. We support the decision point and urge the Office to take into account the points raised during this discussion. We were ready to accept the initial decision point but can accept the GRULAC amendment.

[1] The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.