International Labour Organization (ILO)
1. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, has the governing body of your organization taken (or will it take) any decisions or new strategies to guide the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? If any, please provide a brief summary below, including the overarching vision of your organization.
- The ILO is engaging in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at global, regional and national levels. As this process continues to gain momentum at the national level, the ILO will have to refocus activities accordingly with an emphasis on capacity building and process facilitation for constituents.
- ILO action on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs is based on three platforms discussed and adopted by ILO tripartite constituents (government, workers and employers) at its governing organs:
-- The Director-General's Report to the 105th International Labour Conference (ILC), The End to Poverty Initiative: The ILO and the 2030 Agenda;
-- The Resolution on "Advancing Social Justice through Decent Work", adopted at the 105th International Labour Conference (ILC). The ILC Resolution requests the ILO well to play a convening role around the UN follow-up and review of the decent work dimension of the 2030 Agenda; and
-- The ILO SDG Implementation Plan sets out office-wide activities and coordination requirements. As requested by the Governing Body (GB), the Office subsequently prepared a roll-out strategy operationalizing the Implementation Plan. The Roll-out Strategy proposes six action categories: (1) capacity building; (2) guidance development; (3) outreach; (4) research and policy; (5) communication; and (6) partnerships.
2.1 SDG-specific strategies, plans or work programmes
The Programme and Budget for 2016-17 had already anticipated the structure of the SDGs to a large extent. The ILO Strategic Plan 2018 – 2021 further aligns with the 2030 Agenda. The Programme and Budget for 2018-19 incorporates this strategic directional change in linking budget outcomes to the respective SDGs and selected priority targets. This integrated approach has resulted into ILO being recognized as one of the lead agencies for SDG implementation in the UN system and beyond.
2.2 Aligning the structure of the organization with the transformative features of the 2030 Agenda, including any challenges and lessons learned in doing so
N/A
2.3 Readjusting or updating results-based budgeting and management, including performance indicators:
See reference to the ILO Strategy and Programme and Budget above.
2.4 Action to enhance support to the principle of "leaving no one behind" and to integrated policy approaches:
ILO action is implemented within the conceptual framework of the Decent Work Agenda (DWA) consisting of four mutually supportive and inseparable policy objectives and hence calls for policy coherence across the DWA and the 2030 Agenda. This is underpinned and reconfirmed by the Resolution on "Advancing Social Justice through Decent Work", adopted at the 105th ILC.
3.1 Mainstreaming the SDGs in development plans and policies or through national sustainable development plans/strategies:
The Office is rolling out activities to support its tripartite constituents (governments, workers and employers) in implementing the national sustainable development strategies called for in the 2030 Agenda. The Office has designed and implemented capacity building programmes to equip staff and constituents to engage in SDG processes (with the ILO International Training Centre, Turin): an E-learning course and resource library for ILO staff; a first on-site ILO staff training course on the 2030 Agenda (March 2016); and an ACTRAV global capacity building course on Agenda 2030 for workers' organizations from 5–20 May 2016; and a course for Arab States (together with ESCWA); and an ACTRAV course at ITC: Sustainable Development Goals: Trade Union Policies, National and Regional Action Plans for Europe, Central Asia and Arab States (25 September to 6 October 2017).
3.2 Mainstreaming the SDGs in sectoral strategies, including specific SDG/target strategies:
- An integrated support tool for tripartite constituents has been developed, entitled Decent Work for Sustainable Development Resource Platform (DW4SD). The web-based Platform and a trainers' guide were successfully tested at a regional workshop in South Africa (April 2017) and is being live tested at present. The launch is envisaged for second half of January 2018. Further workshops are planned for Europe, Latin America and Asia and the Pacific in 2018.
- In the same vein, ILO has prepared a series of Decent Work for SDG Notes and Fact Sheets, which are available on the ILO website. Currently available are: National Employment Policies, Social Protection, Skills, International Labour Standards, and Green Jobs. Further Notes are being prepared on: role of workers' organizations, role of employers' organizations, Child Labour and Forced Labour, and rural economy.
3.3 Data and statistical capacity building:
In terms of data and statistical capacity building, the ILO has the custodianship of 14 SGD target indicators. This framework is providing a basis to boost data collection at the country level, essential for designing decent work policies. A Labour Market Statistics and Analysis Academy was organized at the ITC-ILO, Turin during 30 October – 10 November 2017 focusing on measuring decent work in the context of the Global Indicator Framework of the SDGs and on labour market information systems.
3.5 Multi-stakeholder partnerships:
- Global Alliances and Partnerships: The ILO has initiated or participated in a range of partnerships or global and country-level impact. This is a reflection of the integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda which cuts across mandates of the multilateral system both within and outside the United Nations. These are:
-- Alliance 8.7 (SDG 8.7); (with a major launch event at the UN General Assembly)
-- Global Partnership on Universal Social Protection (ILO & World Bank) (SDG 1.3);
-- HL Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth (ILO, OECD and WHO) (SDG 3c);
-- HL Panel on Women's Economic Empowerment (SDG 5);
-- Global Deal on Social Dialogue for Decent Work and Inclusive Growth (SDG 8).
-- Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth (SDG 4.4, 8.6 and SDG 10);
-- UN Water (SDG 6);
-- Education 2030 (ILO & UNESCO) (SDG 4); and
-- Decent Work Opportunities for Refugees (ILO & UNHCR)
3.7 Leveraging interlinkages across SDG goals and targets:
An integrated support tool for tripartite constituents has been developed, entitled Decent Work for Sustainable Development Resource Platform (DW4SD). The web-based Platform and a trainers' guide were successfully tested at a regional workshop in South Africa (April 2017) and is being live tested at present. The launch is envisaged for second half of January 2018. Further workshops are planned for Europe, Latin America and Asia and the Pacific in 2018.
4.1 Supporting the intergovernmental body of your organization in contributing to the thematic review of the HLPF:
The Annual HLPF is the major avenue for ILO outreach to provide the framework for country-level engagement. In November 2016, the Governing Body decided to make use of its March sessions in 2017, 2018 and 2019 as a platform for tripartite discussion of the ILO contribution to the HLPF annual review.
4.2 Contributing to policy/background briefs for the HLPF:
Responding to requests of the ECOSOC president to intergovernmental bodies and forums, the ILO provided formal submissions to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF)) in 2016 and 2017, based on discussions of constituents at the Governing Body (GB). The GB discussions were informed by a paper from the Office. The Director-General and other senior officials participated in numerous events at the HLPF.
4.4 Organizing side evens or speaking at the HLPF:
- The HLPF 2016: During the ILO-led event on "Skills Development to improve Youth Employment" a major innovative learning programme developed with ILO technical inputs was launched by the General Electric Vice-Chair. The event was also an opportunity to highlight the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth. The ILO-Argentina-US event on Partnerships to End Forced Labour in Supply Chains was an opportunity to brief participants about the ILC discussions on decent work in supply chains and to build support and cultivate partners for the launch of the Alliance 8.7 scheduled to September. The DG's participation in a number of events related to migration and refugees advanced decent work issues in the deliberations about the UN Summit on Large Movements of Migrants and Refugees.
- The 2017 HLPF: The ILO participated in the HLPF with a delegation led by the Director-General, which also included other senior officials. Moreover, in preparation for the HLPF, ILO led the compilation of the main decent work indicators that were integrated in the report of the Secretary-General on progress towards the SDGs. ILO also provided inputs to the HLPF drawing on the discussions at the Governing Body (High-level Section/Working Party on the Social Dimension of Globalization) and inputs coming from technical areas.
4.5 Supporting VNR process:
See question 6.
5. How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations to achieve coherence and synergies in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? In this regard, has your organization launched or intend to launch any joint programmes or projects in collaboration with other UN entities? Are there any results or lessons you would like to highlight that might help improve the design and impact of such efforts? Has your organization participated in any of the following coordination systemwide mechanisms or any other relevant platform - CEB, UNDG, EC-ESA Plus, RCMs, UN-Energy, UN-Water, UN-Ocean, IAEG, IATT? Please specify which and indicate any suggestions you may have about improving collaborations within and across these mechanisms/platforms:
- Global Alliances and Partnerships: The ILO has initiated or participated in a range of partnerships or global and country-level impact. This is a reflection of the integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda which cuts across mandates of the multilateral system both within and outside the United Nations. These are:
-- Alliance 8.7 (SDG 8.7); (with a major launch event at the UN General Assembly)
-- Global Partnership on Universal Social Protection (ILO & World Bank) (SDG 1.3);
-- HL Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth (ILO, OECD and WHO) (SDG 3c);
-- HL Panel on Women's Economic Empowerment (SDG 5);
-- Global Deal on Social Dialogue for Decent Work and Inclusive Growth (SDG 8).
-- Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth (SDG 4.4, 8.6 and SDG 10);
-- UN Water (SDG 6);
-- Education 2030 (ILO & UNESCO) (SDG 4); and
-- Decent Work Opportunities for Refugees (ILO & UNHCR)
- The ILO is both a member of the CEB and participates at the regional level in RCMs and regional UNDGs. The ILO Director-General chaired UN Water in 2017.
- MAPS engagement: ILO is engaging in the main UN interagency support process for national SDG planning, called Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) by participating in selected MAPS country missions.
6. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups, both in supporting implementation at the country, regional and global levels, and within your own organization? If yes, please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned:
- The ILO Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) provide the platform for constituents' engagement for decent work at the country level in the context of the SDGs. The DWCP Guidelines have been updated also to provide for alignment with the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
- The ILO SDG capacity-building activities provide a main avenue for engagement of ILO stakeholders, .i.e. its constituents. (See also answer to question 3).
- ILO reaches out to its constituents and other stakeholders, such as CSOs through its network of regional and country offices, also in the context of VNR processes.
7. Has your organization organized any conferences, forums or events designed to facilitate exchange of experience, peer and mutual learning? If yes, please provide a brief summary below and include lessons learned and gaps identified based on the outcomes of these events. Please also include any events you plan to organize in the coming years.
- ILO constituents regularly convene at the annual International Labour Conference and the Governing Body meetings which also provide an opportunity for an exchange of experiences and peer learning.
- Numerous technical meetings are held by the ILO at global, regional and local levels on various aspects of the decent work agenda and - by extension - the SDGs.
- At the 105th International Labour Conference constituents adopted the Resolution on "Advancing Social Justice through Decent Work", and called upon the ILO to play a convening role around the UN follow-up and review of the decent work dimension of the 2030 Agenda.
- The March and November 2017 Governing Body session provided an update of the ILO's work within the context of the United Nations Development System (UNDS) with emphasis on the implications of the UN General Assembly's QCPR resolution. It also presented an update of ILO support to tripartite constituents in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and recent developments concerning selected multi-stakeholder partnerships. Similarly, the March 2018 Governing Body will consider the ILO contribution to the theme and SDGs of the 2018 HLPF and also discuss an item on the ongoing UN Reform, in particular reform of the UNDS.
- See also answer to question 3.
8. Is there any other information you would like to share, including annual reports of your organization and any impact assessment or evaluation reports? If yes, please use the space below and attach the document(s). Please also use this space to provide any other information, comments or remarks you deem necessary:
- The ILO prepared an analysis on the SDGs, Decent Work and Evaluability (attached) and is developing a diagnostic instrument to assess future evaluability of DWCP in an SDG context. This instrument is currently being pilot-tested at the country level.
- The ILO flagship publication World Employment and Social Outlook 2016: Transforming Jobs to End Poverty further underpins the ILC report with evidence on the decent work poverty nexus in an SDG framework. http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_481534.pdf
- The aforementioned Director-General's Report to the 105th International Labour Conference (ILC), The End to Poverty Initiative: The ILO and the 2030 Agenda; provides the main conceptual platform for ILO's engagement in the 2030 Agenda.
9. In your view, what should a strategic plan for the UN system in support of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs look like? What key elements should it include and major challenges address in such a road map?
- A useful strategic approach for UN system support for the 2030 Agenda is already set out in the Secretary-General's report on "Repositioning the United Nations development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda. Our promise for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet", and the associated System-wide Strategic Document.
- It will be important that a strategic approach provides for sufficient focus within the wide scope of the 2030 Agenda, based on the concept of leaving no one behind and addressing vulnerabilities. To this effect existing technical expertise and tested intervention models should be put to use and then scaled up for larger impact.
- A strategic approach should work towards all dimensions of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs and in particular rights aspects, including labour rights.
10. Please indicate one or two endeavor or initiatives you suggest that the UN system organizations could undertake together to support the implementation of the SDGs between now and 2030:
UN system organizations should engage in multi-stakeholder partnerships in keeping with the spirit of the 2030 Agenda and SDG 17. One example is the CEB Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth.