The "Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers" project in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, seeks to bridge important gaps in social protection access and policy for the region's migrant workforce.

ILO's Vision Zero Fund campaign is spearheading the adaptation and implementation of the Colombian coffee sector's safe and healthy working environment, to promote a supply chain with better, safer and healthier working conditions.

As climate change intensifies, workers around the globe find themselves at an increased risk of exposure to various hazards such as excessive heat, ultraviolet radiation, extreme weather events, air pollution, vector-borne diseases and agrochemicals. In conjunction with the World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April), the International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a new report "Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate," which reveals alarming new data on the impact of climate change on workers’ safety and health.

Skills and lifelong learning are essential for economies to prosper and for individuals to thrive and have access to decent work. Organized by the International Labour Organization, the Global Skills Forum is an opportunity for participants to lay out their visions for skills and lifelong learning and to advocate for the promotion of quality education and the pursuit of these goals through the lens of social justice. The event (April 23-24) will bring together representatives from around the world to discuss how to shape skills development as our economies and societies continue to evolve.

Navigating the transition from education to employment is a pivotal moment for young people, but for refugees, this journey is often compounded by significant challenges. With over 50% of refugees being under 25, they face disrupted education, trauma from displacement, limited networks, and the complexities of adapting to new cultures and languages. This not only hinders their personal development but also results in a vast waste of talent for their societies, potentially trapping another generation in dependency cycles.

In this podcast episode, we hear from two inspiring young refugees, Mashimbo Rose Nafisa and Joel Amani Mafigi, who have not only overcome these hurdles but have also dedicated their careers to empowering fellow young refugees. Their advocacy extends to the global stage, as they prepare to attend the United Nations Economic and Social Council Youth Forum in New York, where they will champion better work opportunities for young refugees on an international platform.

Didier Drogba cautions young African footballers on the perils of exploitation and human trafficking as part of a campaign by the International Labour Organization, FIFPRO, and the Didier Drogba Foundation, aiming to raise awareness and protect aspiring players.

Regina's journey exemplifies how economic empowerment can serve as a powerful tool in reducing HIV stigma and discrimination within communities.

The International Labour Organization recognizes progress in improving gender equality within national business organizations, stressing the need to remove barriers for women.

The World Day of Social Justice reminds us each year of the need to build fairer, more equitable societies. Support is growing for creating a wide-reaching Global Coalition for Social Justice to bolster multilateral cooperation and align policies to further social justice aims. To mark the Day, the International Labour Organization is broadcasting live a series of events held in major cities around the world. The events bring together high-level speakers from across the world of work to discuss how to put social justice at the centre of international, national and regional policy agendas.

Around 1.4 billion children under 15 lack social protection, making them vulnerable to poverty, poor nutrition, and disease. Child benefits can reduce poverty and provide essential services like healthcare, nutrition, and education. However, fewer than 1-in-10 children in low-income countries have access to child benefits, compared to 84.6% in high-income countries. The International Labour Organization (ILO), Save the Children, and UNICEF call on governments to provide universal child benefits to protect all children. Although access to child benefits has increased globally from 20% in 2009 to 28.1% in 2023, this progress has been unequal, with low-income countries lagging behind. To address the issue, the organizations have launched the Global Child Benefits Tracker to monitor children's access to benefits and advocate with governments and donors to close the gaps.

The world of work is undergoing profound change. These changes are creating skills gaps, mismatches and shortages that are resulting in unfilled jobs and lost productivity. So how do we close this skills gap? In search of an answer, the International Labour Organization has adopted a new international labour standard focused on updating its approach to skills and quality apprenticeships. But how will it work in practice? In this podcast Martin Henry, Research, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator of Education International in Brussels, and Kathryn Rowan, Executive Director of GAN, the Global Apprenticeship Network based in Geneva, share their insights.

The labour market showed modest improvement in 2023, with a decline in the unemployment rate below pre-pandemic levels. But the ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2024 finds worrying trends for 2024. The report reveals imbalances and vulnerabilities that are damaging prospects for a sustainable global recovery. A decline in real wages, persistent inflation, an increase in working poverty, and a deceleration in productivity growth create the conditions for greater inequality and undermine efforts to achieve social justice.

The escalation of hostilities in Gaza is continuing to have grave repercussions on lives and livelihoods, with cascading implications for the labour market.

The value of unpaid domestic and care work is finally changing following sustained advocacy and implementation of new measuring tools.

There is much discussion of the effects Generative AI will have on job creation and destruction, but just as important is the effect it will have on the quality of jobs – decent work – and which countries and sectors will feel the effects most. A new ILO research paper suggests that its impact on the augmentation of jobs is at least as important as the automation of tasks. However, it also implies that, without the right policies, AI could deepen existing inequalities between genders and the richest and poorest. Find out more in this episode of ILO's Future of Work Podcast.