ECOSOC to generate solutions on employment & decent work
03 Jul '06
3 min read
In a new look at why more than half the world's workforce cannot earn enough to lift themselves and their families out of extreme poverty, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will consider possible solutions that can generate productive employment and decent work as it opens its annual session in Geneva on Monday.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a report to the Council, said the issue is not just about jobs, but about employment that can generate sufficient income for individuals and households to move out of poverty. "Greater attention, therefore, needs to be paid to decent work, defined as opportunities for men and women to obtain productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity."
At present, about half of the world's work force lives in extreme poverty, is unable to earn enough to lift themselves and their families above the $2 a day poverty line. Despite major economic growth in many regions, the total number of "working poor" has remained virtually unchanged over the last decade at 1.4 billion.
The employment issue has gained momentum ever since national leaders from across the globe agreed at last year's UN World Summit that tackling the employment problem was essential to meeting the antipoverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). ECOSOC, which will open with a three-day ministerial session, will aim to influence countries and UN activities in pursuit of employment friendly policies.
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