ILO welcomes G20 Culture Ministers’ Outcome Document for integration of Decent Work Goals

The Outcome Document was issued at the end of the Ministers’ meeting, which took place in Varanasi, India, on 26 August 2023.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has welcomed a G20 Culture Ministers’ Outcome Document  on culture and sustainable development and called for the integration of decent work goals into ongoing and future cultural policies.

In an address to the meeting, Satoshi Sasaki, Deputy Director of the ILO Country Office for India, praised the Ministers’ support for policies that promote decent work and inclusive growth and development in the cultural and creative sectors. Measures highlighted by the Ministers in their concluding Outcome Document included a call for stronger cooperation and dialogue in line with international labour standards, the development of adequate remuneration systems and adequate and comprehensive social protection in the sector, and support for transition to the formal economy as relevant.

“ILO strongly supports the call for strengthened cooperation towards advancing ethical, legal and technical considerations to place culture in a more just digital environment, addressing issues on the protection of intellectual property, transparency, and the right to consent to use,” Sasaki said. “ILO is ready to support the G20 Member States and Ministers of Culture to ensure the integration of decent work goals into ongoing and future cultural policies.”

“Let us join forces to promote fair remuneration, adequate and comprehensive social protection coverage, and just transition to the digital environment for the sector to truly contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous world,” he added.

The Meeting’s Outcome Document also called for greater investment in skills training, technical assistance and lifelong learning – in particular for women, youth, marginalized and vulnerable groups. It reaffirmed a commitment to multilateralism and highlighted the role of culture as an enabler and driver of sustainable development and in supporting the resilience and regeneration of economies and societies.

The Outcome Document was issued at the end of the Ministers’ meeting, which took place in Varanasi, India, on 26 August 2023. India currently holds the rotating Presidency of the G20 and the outcomes of the Culture Ministers’ Meeting will feed into the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on 9-10 September 2023.