ILO Creates Global Future of Work Commission
It is to focus in particular on the relationship between work and society, the challenge of creating decent jobs for all, the organization of work and production, and the governance of work.
The International Labour Organization established a Global Commission on the Future of Work this week, saying it is expected to examine the topic in depth and to focus in particular on the relationship between work and society, the challenge of creating decent jobs for all, the organization of work and production, and the governance of work.
Speaking at the launch, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder reminded the audience these are key issues of our time for families around the world. "It is fundamentally important that we confront these challenges from the conviction that the future of work is not decided for us in advance. It is a future that we must make according to the values and preferences that we choose and through policies that we design and implement," he said.
The ceremony was attended by two serving heads of state or government co-chairing the commission: Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, president of Mauritius, and Stefan Löfven, prime minister of Sweden. The panel includes Tulane University economics Professor Nora Lustig and Darren Walker, president of the New York-based Ford Foundation.
In her address at the launch, the president of Mauritius encouraged "all countries and stakeholders to come up with comprehensive recommendations and novel ideas on how to address the opportunities and challenges of the future of work. We can accomplish this by 'putting people first,' by recognising that labor is more than simply a commodity in the labor market in the spirit of the ILO Constitution, or even just a factor of production."
Löfven said, "We cannot stop development, nor should we even try. What we need to do is come together: to harness innovation to improve the daily lives of millions, to use new technology to build cleaner and more sustainable societies, and at the same time create new jobs with better conditions for everyone. These objectives lie at the heart of this commission."
The panel has 28 members, including four ex-officio members - ILO Director-General Guy Ryder and the officers of the ILO Governing Body.