George: The 4th group of Twenty (G20) Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting will commence today in George, focusing on various labor market issues, culminating in the development of a declaration.
According to South African Government News Agency, the 4th G20 EWG meeting will center on critical themes, including youth employment, gender equality in the workforce, social security and platform work, as well as addressing inequality and declining labor income share. The discussions are occurring amidst transformations and global challenges driven by protectionism and anti-globalization tendencies.
The two-day 4th G20 EWG meeting of technical experts will conclude with a two-day Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting (LEMM) from July 30 to 31, 2024. The theme of the G20 EWG stream is: ‘Living and Working in an Unequal World: Ensuring Decent Work and Decent Lives’. This theme aligns with South Africa’s G20 Presidency theme — ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’.
The gathering is expected to conclude with a LEMM declaration negotiated by technical experts, which aims to build on the Brisbane (2025) to eThekwini Goal (2030) to address gender equality in the workforce.
Both the EWG and LEMM will bring together more than 150 local and international delegates, including Labour and Employment Ministers from G20 Member Countries, invited countries, and international organizations.
The G20 EWG’s mandate is to address labor, employment, and social issues for strong, sustainable, balanced, and job-rich growth for all.
Founded in 1999 in response to several world financial economic crises, the G20 is a forum for international economic cooperation to coordinate policy aimed at achieving global economic stability and sustainable growth, promote financial regulations, and create a new international financial architecture. The G20 member countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, plus the European Union and the African Union.