Welcome to the United Nations
Background
1.At its 329th Session (March 2017), the ILO Governing Body held a high-level session to discuss the decent work contribution to theme of the 2017 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), namely “eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world”, and to the Sustainable Development Goals under review this year. The session was attended by several ministers and other representatives of governments, workers and employers representatives of partner agencies and was addressed by Ambassador Frederick Makamure Shava, President of the ECOSOC. This report presents the information and analysis examined by the ILO Governing Body and a summary of its discussions. It begins with an Overview structured under the issues proposed for the HLPF review of progress on the 2030 Agenda.
I. Overview
Assessment of the situation regarding the principle of “ensuring that no one is left behind” at the global level.
2.Poverty remains pervasive in many countries and represents a serious threat to the achievement of the 2030 vision of a “just, equitable, tolerant, open and socially inclusive world in which the needs of the most vulnerable are met” and “a world in which every country enjoys sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all”. In 2016, three out of ten working women and men in emerging and developing countries were unable to earn enough to lift themselves and their families above the moderate poverty threshold of $3.10 per day. Six out of ten workers in sub-Saharan Africa and nearly five out of ten South Asian workers are expected to be living in such poverty in 2018. In emerging and developing countries, children constitute over one third of the poor, and the elderly just under 5 per cent.
3.On current growth trends, working poverty rates will decline in 2017 and 2018, but at a slower pace than in the previous 25 years. The numbers of workers living on less than the extreme poverty threshold of $1.90 per day is set to fall slightly over the next two years in Africa and more significantly in South Asia, but will still account for nearly one third of workers in Africa and 15 per cent of workers in South Asia in 2018.
4.With poverty concentrated to a significant extent in rural areas, harnessing the potential of the rural economy through decent work is key to sustainable development and critical in fulfilling the SDGs’ pledge to leave no one behind. Improving earnings, working conditions and productivity in agriculture and other rural industries is vital. This will entail moves from own-account or unpaid family labour and informal work (often in rural areas) to wage employment and formal (or more formal) jobs in industry or services (typically in urban areas).
5.Social protection systems are essential to the eradication of poverty but are weak or non-existent in many countries. Social protection floors are much more sustainable where there is a progressive shift towards formal economic activities.
Continue reading full report in pdf.