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Cooperating globally on employment and social matters: 15th High Level meeting between EU and ILO

From 29 September to 2 October, the International Labour Office (permanent secretariat of the International Labour Organization) and the European Commission held their 15th High-Level meeting in a hybrid format from Geneva and Brussels.

15th High Level meeting between EU and ILO

Mr Joost Korte, Director-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion led a delegation bringing together high level representatives and 150 colleagues across Commission services and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to meet with the ILO.

Given the changing world of work and the significant challenges posed by the COVID 19 crisis, the High Level Meeting was a timely and valuable opportunity to reaffirm EU-ILO partnership to address issues of common concern in the year ahead.

They addressed the future of work, trade and labour standards, occupational safety and health, gender equality, forced labour and child labour in global supply chains, just transition to a carbon-neutral economy, maritime, fishing and shipbreaking, social dialogue as well as decent work  in Africa and Asia.

The following items were discussed at the high level segment:

  • ILO and EU responses to COVID19
  • the Future of Work and the European Pillar of Social Rights
  • promoting Multilateralism, Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) and Human Rights
  • promoting International Labour Standards as well as Trade and Labour
  • promoting Occupational Safety and Health
  • promoting Gender Equality in the World of Work
  • renewing the Commitment on the ILO-EU partnership for the ILO Centenary

Eight technical meetings took place on the following issues:

  • strategic partnership on development cooperation: advancing the decent work agenda and the SDGs
  • forced labour and child labour in global supply chains
  • decent work in Asia
  • decent work in Africa
  • skills development and TVET
  • maritime, fishing and shipbreaking issues
  • just transition to a carbon-neutral economy
  • social dialogue

The ILO and the Commission discussed developments and agreed to intensify their exchanges, embark on joint initiatives and reinforce their partnership.

Related documents

Conclusions of the 15th EU-ILO High Level Meeting (2020)

Related links

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