The ILO and the G20

The G20 is a forum for international economic cooperation. It brings together some of the world’s largest economies to discuss major international economic issues and strengthen coordination on other issues of mutual interest. Its members represent around 85 per cent of the world's GDP and more than 75 per cent of world trade. Together, they account for around two-thirds of the world's population. 

The G20 is made up of 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union.

The ILO is a key knowledge partner in several working groups, providing technical inputs to the G20 on policies that promote decent work and advance social justice. It conducts analysis and provides policy recommendations that support multilateral discussions on the labour and social dimension of economic and environmental policies. In so doing, the ILO fulfils its Constitutional imperative to examine and consider all international economic and financial policies in light of the fundamental objective of social justice. 

In a world that is constantly grappling with new challenges and crises, it is becoming clearer every day that we need to accelerate our efforts towards making social justice a reality for all. This requires a set of well-coordinated social policies, including social protection and other policies to ensure social inclusion.

ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo

The theme for Brazil's G20 Presidency is “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet”. It focuses on three priorities across the Sherpa and Finance Tracks: 

• Social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty. 
• Energy transitions and the promotion of sustainable development in its economic, social, and environmental dimensions. 
• Reform of global governance institutions. 

The various working groups in the Sherpa and Finance tracks derive their priorities from these three overarching themes. 

A notable innovation under the Brazilian G20 Presidency is the establishment of two time-bound Task Forces that bring together the Finance and Sherpa Tracks: 

• the Task Force Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty 
• the Task Force Global Mobilization against Climate Change

Contact ddg@ilo.org for more information.