The International Labour Organization (ILO) has underscored the central role of decent work in crisis recovery and long-term development, during a high-level panel at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meeting in Geneva on 17 June.
ILO Deputy Director-General, Celeste Drake, who joined global leaders at the forum, stressed the fact that access to employment, livelihoods, and labour rights are not merely development targets but critical drivers of social cohesion, economic recovery, and peacebuilding.
The panel, part of ECOSOC’s Humanitarian Affairs Segment (HAS), focused on partnerships, financing, and solutions for countries facing prolonged crises.
“Decent work must be integrated from the outset – not as an afterthought, but as a foundational element of any humanitarian-development-peace strategy,” Drake stated.
She cited ILO Recommendation 205 as the normative framework for embedding employment and decent work into crisis response. The ILO’s work in employment-intensive public works, enterprise recovery, social protection, and local economic development was presented as a model for bridging relief and sustainable development.
Drake acknowledged international partners and donors, particularly Sweden, for enabling the ILO to support crisis-affected countries.
“Decent work and institution-building are not add-ons; they are prerequisites for resilience,” she said. “Partnerships must centre on national ownership, with governments leading, UN Resident Coordinators coordinating, and donors aligning with systemic, inclusive approaches.”
The panel reaffirmed the shared global commitment to placing decent work and inclusive development at the core of humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts.
