Brief regarding India’s G20 Presidency (2023)

A. History and Mandate of the G20 Employment Working Group

• In 2011, G20 Leaders expressed their belief that “employment must be at the heart of the actions and policies to restore strong, sustainable and balanced growth”. This resulted in establishing on an ad-hoc basis for one year, a Task Force on Employment (TFE).
• In 2014, taking into consideration the impact of TFE’s role on growth, labour, employment and social challenges, G20 Leaders agreed to the transformation of the TFE to an Employment Working Group (EWG) as an on-going function at the recommendation of G20 Labour and Employment Ministers.
• The EWG’s mandate is to address priority labour, employment and social issues to further develop strong, sustainable, balanced, inclusive and job-rich growth.
• The annual agenda of the EWG will be developed by the incumbent G20 presidency in accordance with the mandate of the EWG, the Leaders’ Communiqué and the Labour and Employment Ministers’ Declaration in collaboration with G20 member countries and in consultation with international organizations and social partners.
• Given the importance of continuity regarding the work carried out under consecutive G20 presidencies, the EWG will work under a multi-year agenda that is guided by its mandate. The multi-year agenda will be developed by the EWG members, reviewed annually and renewed when deemed necessary.

B. India’s G20 Presidency and the Priority Areas

• India has assumed the Presidency of the G20, which is a key global forum of major economies of the world for discussing and addressing critical challenges being faced by the international community. This is a historic opportunity for India to showcase its vibrant culture and rich heritage, along with its achievements and capabilities
• In order to further the multi-year agenda of the G20 Employment Working Group, the following priority areas have been identified for its consideration:

1. Addressing Global Skill Gaps
2. Gig and Platform Economy and Social Protection
3. Sustainable Financing of Social Security

 

C. Schedule of meetings for EWG meetings and LEMM under Indian Presidency

• Four meetings of the Employment Working Group have been planned by MoLE for the year 2023 under the Indian Presidency. The deliberations on the three priority areas during the four EWG meetings will culminate into the Labour and Employment Ministers Meetings on 21st July, 2023. The schedule of the meetings is given below-

No.	Meeting	Month	Date	City
1.	1st Employment Working Group Meeting	February	02-04 February	Jodhpur
2.	2nd  Employment Working Group Meeting	April	03-05 April	Guwahati
3.	3rd  Employment Working Group Meeting	June	31-May - 02 June	Geneva
4.	4th  Employment Working Group Meeting	July	19-20 July	Indore
5.	Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting	July	20- 21 July	Indore
6.	Labour 20 Inception meeting	March	19-20 March	Amritsar
7.	Labour 20 Summit	June	22-23 June	Patna

D. Labour and Employment Ministers’ meeting

The Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting was convened on July 21, 2023, in Indore following the successful conclusion of the 4th Employment Working Group Meeting in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, which took place from July 19 - 20, 2023. There meeting witnessed the participation of over 176 Delegates, including 26 Ministers from G20 Member and Guest countries, and 15 Heads and Representatives of International Organizations, namely OECD, ISSA, ILO, and World Bank. Previously, four Employment Working Group (EWG) meetings, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment Ms. Arti Ahuja have been successfully held.

• First Employment Working Group Meeting (Jodhpur, Rajasthan– February 2-4, 2023),
• 2nd Employment Working Group Meeting (Guwahati, Assam - April 3-5, 2023)
• 3rd Employment Working Group Meeting (Geneva, Switzerland– May 31 - June 2, 2023)
• 4th Employment Working Group Meeting (Indore, Madhya Pradesh – July 19-20, 2023)

Apart from that, numerous bilateral meetings have been held between India and other G20 countries. The EWG deliberated and negotiated on three priority areas selected by the Indian Presidency, namely:

• Addressing global skill gaps;
• Gig and platform economy and social protection
• Sustainable financing of social protection.

The work of the EWG was cemented by the Labour & Employment Ministers by holding deliberations and adopting the outcome documents related to these priority areas. The meeting of the LEM commenced with a video message delivered by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, where he shared his inspiring vision for the ever-evolving world of work. The Hon’ble PM stressed that “Mobile workforce is going to be a reality in the future. Therefore, it is now time to globalize the development and sharing of skills in the true sense. The G20 must play a leading role in this.”

The Hon’ble Prime Minister threw light on India’s ‘e-Shram portal’ that has seen almost 280 million registrations and is being leveraged for targeted interventions for these workers. He further added that countries should adopt similar solutions as the nature of work has become transnational.

Concluding the address, the Hon’ble Prime Minister expressed confidence that this meeting will send out a strong message for the welfare of all workers worldwide. He appreciated the efforts being made by all dignitaries in addressing some of the most urgent issues in this field.

Addressing a Press Conference, Hon’ble Union Minister for Labour and Employment and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav said the Labour & Employment Ministers’ meeting took a historical step closer to strengthening global amity. He said in a landmark initiative, G20 Countries rallied behind Indian leadership for achieving consensus on all issues except just one paragraph on the geopolitical issues, for which a Chair’s Summary was issued.

The G20 took note of the overwhelming success story of India in accelerating the transition from informality to formality and enhancing social protection as India’s recent key initiatives in legal reforms, systemic transformation, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and social protection were highlighted.

International Organizations and also the International Knowledge Partners for India’s G20 Presidency- the ILO, OECD, International Social Security Association (ISSA), and World Bank -- shared crucial insights on the future of work. An update was given on the G20 countries’ progress towards Brisbane and Antalya Goals by Deputy Secretary General, OECD and Director General, ILO.

Social partners represented by G20 engagement groups, namely Business 20, Labour 20, Startup 20 and Think 20 called for greater coordination and synergies between all stakeholders to address global labour challenges.

Discussions and rich exchange of diverse perspectives took place among G20 Member and Guest countries on the increasing criticality of the priority areas and the related Outcome Documents.

The LEM meeting and EWG's journey under India's Presidency concluded with the adoption of the Chair's Summary and Outcome Documents. Adoption and implementation of these outcomes will enable people to avail gainful employment across the world leading to sustainable, resilient and inclusive global economic development.

The 'G20 Policy Priorities on Strategies to Address Skill Gaps Globally' were adopted by the Ministers. The G20 countries have united under India’s Leadership as they have committed to addressing skill gaps and enhancing global employment.

The agreement to work towards the adoption of common language and mapping by the ILO and OECD will boost the accurate mapping of global skill gaps and surpluses. This is Indian Presidency’s contribution towards a global good. This pioneering step under the Indian G20 Presidency will usher in an era of unprecedented global employment opportunities for more than two-thirds population of the world through enhanced cross-country comparability and mutual recognition of skills.

The EWG adopted ‘G20 Policy Priorities on Adequate and Sustainable Social Protection and Decent Work for Gig and Platform Workers’. In a significant breakthrough for the gig and platform economy, the Indian Presidency forged consensus in the G20 for providing social protection to the gig and platform workers on priority, irrespective of their classification. The outcomes will be game-changing for the Gig and platform workers by helping workers tide over stresses across the life cycle.

Ministers adopted ‘G20 Policy Options for Sustainable Financing of Social Protection’. G20 Labour & Employment Ministers led by the Indian Presidency leave a lasting legacy as they adopt a menu of “Global solutions for sustainable financing of social protection”. It includes strengthening contributory and non-contributory mechanisms to ensure sustainable financing of adequate social protection for all.

Discovering the unique cultural heritage of India!

• The Employment Working Group and Labour and Employment Ministerial Meetings had refreshing Yoga stretch breaks during the meetings which were well-received by all the participants.
• An exhibition organised on the sidelines of the Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meet showcased a vibrant display of textiles & handicrafts that demonstrated the skilled craftsmanship of local artisans.
• G20 India Delegates visited the iconic ‘Chappan Dukan’ & savoured some delectable dishes and local snacks in the food hub of Indore.
• Delegates of the G20 LEMM embarked on a heritage walk through the heart of the city. They also visited the iconic Rajwada Palace & Boliya Sarkar Ki Chhatri, a testament to India’s rich architectural history