World leaders on Thursday joined partners of the Global Coalition to call for stronger efforts to deliver social justice across the global geopolitical zones.
In his keynote address at the Inaugural Forum for the Global Coalition for Social Justice, President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said “never has social justice been so crucial for humanity.”
Silva, who is also the co-chair of the Global Coalition for Social Justice Coordinating Group, further clarified:“No country can resolve the dilemmas that affect the international society on its own. We need to look for best practices and experiences wherever they are. The Global Coalition will be a central tool for building a transition with social justice, decent work, and poverty eradication.”
Similarly, the President of Nepal, Ramchandra Paudel, in his speech at the event lent his voice to the Brazilian President’s position, saying that “we are happy to participate in the Global Coalition for Social Justice, to reaffirm our commitment to social justice, to reaffirm our faith in multilateralism.”
He added that the Global Coalition would, “inspire everyone to unite through social dialogue to maintain social harmony and tolerance to achieve economic development and prosperity.”
Speaking at the event, the ILO Director-General, Gilbert Houngbo, welcomed the overwhelming support that the Global Coalition has received since its launch in November 2023, calling the Inaugural Forum as “the kick-off of a long journey, a journey that will bring all of us toward more and better social justice in the world.”
The Director-General stressed the importance of transforming commitments to social justice into concrete actions, to bring tangible, positive and sustainable changes to people’s lives.
Houngbo clarified: “The fruitful discussions we have had today must translate into action. And as we move forward, let us remember that our efforts are not just for us but for the generations to come.
“Our roadmap is clear. We must act, and we must act at the country level”, he added.
The Forum is the annual gathering of Coalition partners. It provides a space for them to exchange knowledge and experiences and to highlight concrete actions undertaken in support of social justice.
The Inaugural Forum took place during the 112th Session of the International Labour Conference, in Geneva, Switzerland which had in attendance more than 1,200 representatives from Coalition members during three high-level thematic dialogues around the following themes: building the resilience of societies; improving the coherence between economic and social policies; and fostering social dialogue for shared prosperity.
Since its establishment the Global Coalition for Social Justice has been working to create global momentum towards the reduction and prevention of inequalities and the prioritization of social justice in national and global policymaking and activities.
To date, the Coalition has brought together more than 290 partners including governments, employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations, international and regional organizations, international financial institutions, international non-governmental organizations, businesses and academia.
