This is the warning presented in a new assessment published Friday by the UN International Labor Organization (ILO), which urges governments, employers and labor organizations to place the dignity and rights of workers at the center of economic decision-making.
“This report brings together the voices, experiences and proposals of unions around the world,» said Maria Helena André, Director of the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities.
“Workers defined shared priorities to advance social justice and shape a more inclusive future of work.»
She highlighted that although economies and labor markets are changing rapidly, worker protections and governance systems have not kept pace, leading to growing insecurity and widening inequality.
Call for a human-centered economy
According to the report, technological changes, climate pressures, demographic shifts and weakening social protections are reshaping workplaces faster than policies can respond.
Without action, existing inequalities risk worsening, particularly for workers in informal, temporary or low-wage jobs.
Among his key messages:
- Decent work and labor rights are non-negotiable.
- Economic governance must put people first.
- Technological and climate transitions must be just and inclusive.
- Local realities require adapted solutions.
- Unions are transforming to stay relevant.
A global debate should open in Doha
The findings come as more than 8,000 participants – including heads of state and government, ministers, employer groups, civil society organizations and youth representatives – prepare to gather in Doha for the Second World Summit for Social Developmentopening Tuesday.
Summit will review and update commitments first made at this historic milestone 1995 Copenhagen Social Summitas inequality, insecurity and social fragmentation increase again in many parts of the world.
Message from the Director-General of the ILO.
In a message Ahead of the Summit, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo urged governments to act with ambition and unity:
“Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to access quality jobs and shared prosperity. Let us come together again – to achieve just, inclusive and lasting progress for people everywhere.»
UN Info on the ground
UN News reports on Doha throughout the Summit, with live updates, interviews and analysis from plenary rooms, roundtables and side forums. Follow our cover here.
