G20 Jobs Working Group meeting reaches consensus

With agreement on the major concerns of "Global Skill Gaps, Gig and Platform Economy, Social Protection and Sustainable Funding of Social Security," the Employment Working Group (EWG) under India's G20 chair ended its second meeting on Wednesday in Guwahati.

In order to ensure consensus on the essential components of the EWG Ministerial Statement and Outcome Papers at the G20 Meeting, Labour and Employment Secretary and EWG Chair Arti Ahuja guided the EWG talks.

More than 74 participants from more than 19 G20 member nations, seven guest countries, and five international organisations attended the summit.

These institutions included the World Bank (WB), the Asian Development Bank, the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (ADB).

Rameshwar Teli, Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment, gave the opening address to the three-day conference. He was followed by Chandra Mohan Patowary, Minister of Environment & Forest, Act East Policy Affairs, and Welfare of Minorities, of the Assam Government.

On this occasion, the Jan Bhagidari Projects' compilation of student articles on labour concerns was revealed.

Several working groups with the EWG's key areas intersected during sessions on knowledge sharing on the first day of the conference. The G20 Entrepreneurship Research Centre, the G20 Education Working Group, the Sustainable Finance Working Group, and the L20 and B20 Chairs also presented presentations.

The member nations discussed the conclusions about the important EWG priority areas on the second day, incorporating all points of view and further refining them in order to create the declaration and result document, along with helpful remarks.

The discussion of the Draft Ministerial Communique for the final text took place on the third day. The Draft Outcome Paper on "Gig and Platform Economy and Social Protection," in addition to the Draft Ministerial Statement, was reviewed. All G20 members participated in detailed discussions and consideration of comments and proposals.

The Assam state government organised Jan Bhagidari events including bicycle rallies, Cleanliness Campaigns, Simulated G20 Summits in Schools, Tree Plantings, Seminars, and lectures to incorporate participants from all walks of life, including students, youth, women, the private sector, academics, and civil society.