Pretoria - An upcoming two-day G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting is expected to develop new paths for job creation, among other pertinent issues.
Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant will lead a high level delegation from South Africa to France for the meeting, which will kick off on Monday. The gathering will provide a platform for the labour and employment ministers to showcase what they have done and share information about what has worked and what has not, and why.
During the previous meeting last year, the ministers passed a number of recommendations which include:
* strengthening social protection systems
* promoting inclusive active labour market policies
* accelerating job creation to ensure a sustained recovery
* future growth and placing employment
* poverty alleviation at the centre of national and global economic strategies
* improving the quality of jobs for the future
* preparing a workforce for future challenges and opportunities.
In the follow-up meeting, officials of the G20 member states, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), International Organisation of Employers, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Labour Organisation refined the recommendations during April and May 2011 in Paris.
Next week's meeting is expected to come up with a final draft. The draft will focus on matters relating to:
* strengthening social protection floors adapted to each country
* improving employment policies especially for young people and the most vulnerable
* promoting effective application of social and labour rights
* strengthening the coherence of economic and social policies.
Oliphant's visit to Paris comes on the eve of the International Labour Organisation's 12th meeting in which the theme "Empowering Africa's Peoples with Decent Work" will be the central focus.
The gathering, which will be held at Sandton Convention Centre from October 11-14, is to discuss progress made by the countries in the African Region towards achieving the targets set by the Decent Work Agenda in Africa.
The G20 is a grouping of major advanced and emerging economies established to help stabilize the global financial market.
Established in 1999, in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial "flu", the G20 has held annual finance ministers and Central Bank Governors' meetings and discussed measures to promote the financial stability of the world and to achieve a sustainable economic growth and development. France currently holds the presidency of the G20.
Member countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, USA and the EU. - BuaNews
