World leaders call for urgent action to advance social justice at the Inaugural Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice

GENEVA (ILO News) – World leaders joined partners of the Global Coalition to call for stronger efforts to deliver social justice on Thursday.

“Never has social justice been so crucial for humanity,” said Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, who was the keynote speaker at the Inaugural Forum for the Global Coalition for Social Justice, as co-chair of the Global Coalition for Social Justice Coordinating Group.

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“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,” he explained.

President Lula’s remarks were echoed by Ramchandra Paudel, President of Nepal, who also spoke at the Forum. “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 said.

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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, ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, welcomed the overwhelming support that the Global Coalition has received since its launch in November 2023. The Director-General called the Inaugural Forum, “the kick-off of a long journey, a journey that will bring all of us toward more and better social justice in the world.”

Moreover, 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.

“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,” Houngbo said. “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. It brought together 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.

The Forum, which took place on 13 June 2024, was opened with speeches by Luiz Marinho, Minister of Labour of Brazil and ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo. The Forum also heard statements from Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; Roberto Suarez Santos, Secretary General, International Organization of Employers; Luc Triangle, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation; and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization. 

Video news offers are available to download with coverage of the Inaugural Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice with addresses by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil and by Ram Chandra Paudel, President of Nepal.