European Union

Statement

International Labour Conference

113^th session 

Geneva, 2-13 June 2025

________

General Affairs Committee 

Resolution concerning the ILO’s tripartite input to the Second World Summit for Social Development in 2025 (Agenda item VII)

________

Geneva, 3 June 2025

General Affairs Committee

Resolution concerning the ILO’s tripartite input to the Second World Summit for Social Development in 2025 (Agenda item VII)

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The candidate countries Türkiye, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania*, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Georgia, the EFTA countries Norway member of the European Economic Area and Switzerland, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan align themselves with this statement.   

1. First of all, we want to express our gratitude to all ILO constituents for contributing to achieve this draft resolution, to the Tripartite Working Party and its Members for their tireless work, as well as to the ILO Office for their guidance and support.

2. We welcome that this Resolution has taken into consideration the main elements of the tripartite key messages unanimously adopted at the 352^nd session of the Governing Body.

3. These messages already played an important role in inspiring first the Food for Thought paper and then the draft Political Declaration.

4. As we have already stated, the Political Declaration should be anchored in human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the ILO’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and address major inequalities and transformative challenges in the world, underlining that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace.

5. The world requires more solidarity and multilateral cooperation to tackle, environmental, digital and demographic challenges, ensuring just transitions. The World Social Summit is crucial in this effort, serving as a forum where social issues take centre stage, which is key for restoring trust, cohesion, and solidarity.

6. The tripartite key messages and now this Resolution should continue to shape the Political Declaration, ensuring that the outcome of the Summit takes full account of these contributions from the ILO.

7. We welcome the reference to a renewed global social contract with a human-centred approach, even though we would have preferred a reference to a human rights-based approach in the context of the fundamental principles and rights at work. 

8. Nevertheless, recognising the importance of consensus, and commending all groups for their essential contributions in a remarkable process that gave voice to all ILO constituents, we support the draft Resolution as presented. We should be proud of this tripartite achievement which appears to be unique in the preparation of the Summit and for this reason, we encourage all member states that are part of the negotiation process in New York to echo these consensual, tripartite key messages.

9. We also encourage the Director General to continue all efforts to ensure that the consultation process in the preparation of Political Declaration remains open and inclusive, taking into account the views of social partners and of civil society, and where the central role of the ILO in promoting social justice, in particular through its normative framework, is sufficiently recognized.

10. We ask the Director General to ensure ILO’s contribution to the Summit is duly taken into account, to secure a central role for the ILO in the follow-up of the Summit, in coordination with the Working Party and ILO’s tripartite constituents and to take into account the need for the ILO to play a leading role in the follow-up to the Summit when implementing the Programme and Budget for 2026–27.

11. Thank you Chair.

*North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.