ILO Governing Body, 351^st session 

Adoption of the Statement of the Working Party on the New Social Contract for our Common Agenda

GB.351/INS/5

15 June 2024

EU Statement

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The candidate countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Albania*, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina*, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Switzerland, align themselves with this statement.

• We thank DG Houngbo for having put emphasis on the World Social Summit during the 112th ILC. We welcome that he chose to dedicate his report to a “renewed social contract” and we are grateful to the Office for having organised a special meeting with the Co-Facilitators of the World Social Summit, H.E. Mr Philippe Kridelka and H.E. Mr Omar Hilale, the Permanent Representatives of Belgium and Morocco to the United Nations.
• This allowed all constituents to express their views ahead of the World Social Summit. We welcome the broad support to working towards achieving a renewal of our social contract in order to attain a comprehensive approach based on human rights at work, social cohesion and solidarity.
• We consider that a renewed social contract should be anchored in human rights and the ILO’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and address major inequalities and transformative challenges in the world, such as those posed by the demographic, ecological and digital transitions.
• We are committed to reinforcing the social dimension of sustainable development.
• We expect the Summit will address the new challenges that have emerged since the Copenhagen summit and give momentum towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
• We would like to emphasize the central role played by the ILO in promoting decent work for all. We call upon all Member States to work closely with their counterparts in New York to ensure that the ILO, in line with its mandate, plays a leading role in the preparations, conduct and follow-up of the Summit. This unique, tripartite organisation was founded on the premise that universal and lasting peace can only be based on social justice, giving an equal voice to workers, employers and governments.
• We appreciate the fact the Governing Body will send the DG’s report to the Co-facilitators in New York, even though we would have preferred this transmission to be enriched by a statement prepared by the Office and the Working Party on the basis of the Conference discussions on the report of the Director-General.
• We encourage the tripartite working party to continue its work on the basis of the mandate agreed upon during the 350^th GB to prepare draft key messages of a tripartite input, for approval at its 352^nd Session (October–November 2024), and we look forward to discussing its contribution during our next GB session.
• We expect the Working Party to base its deliberations on the Conference discussions on the report of the Director-General “Towards a renewed social contract” and would ask the Office to prepare a summary thereof to facilitate the work. We would also encourage all constituents to develop their own tripartite initiatives at national level, as these could be a valuable input for the Working Party as well. We therefore consider it important to amend the draft decision.
• We are confident that the ILO will be able to demonstrate how tripartism and social dialogue can lead to a meaningful outcome.

Thank you Chair.

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.