Policy coherence crucial to ensure equal globalization gains – UN labour chief

Unions, businesses and politicians must promote policies in concert so to prevent a backlash against “unbalanced, unfair and unsustainable” globalization, the head of the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) said today.

Underscoring how globalization’s failures are reflected in the current levels of global poverty, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said that “we need more coherence policies nationally and internationally among economic, social and environmental goals.”

Addressing the “Decent Work – A Key to Social Justice for a Fair Globalization” conference in Oslo, Norway, he told participants that a balanced and sustainable development approach to globalization is needed based on boosting opportunities for decent work.

Mr. Somavia stressed five key areas of focus regarding the challenge to ensure policy coherence: respect for human rights; sustainable enterprises as necessary for competition and productivity; a social floor to promote poverty eradication; the impact of trade and financial policies on decent work; and “green” jobs to respond to climate change.

“No doubt, we as heads of agencies can do a lot and we can do more than we are doing now,” he said at the day-long gathering. “But more convergent, more coherent, less parallel government policies will make our job much easier.”