Delhi, 23 February (H.S.): Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya will inaugurate the two-day Regional Dialogue on Social Justice under the Global Coalition for Social Justice and the Observance of the 74th Foundation Day of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on 24 February 2025 in New Delhi.
Hon’ble Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Ms. Shobha Karandlaje, Secretary (Labour & Employment), Ms. Sumita Dawra, and the Director General, International Labour Organization (ILO), Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, will also be present at the inaugural session of this key international dialogue.
The Global Coalition for Social Justice is a landmark initiative by ILO to bring global, regional and national actors together for policy and action coherence towards advancing social justice. Launched in November, 2023, the Coalition has been joined by 336 partners including 90 governments within a short span.
India, as a founding member of ILO and a key member in the Coordinating Group of the Global Coalition, is playing a crucial role in the Coalition for furthering the agenda of social justice. Recognizing the need for collaboration between governments, businesses, and workers to promote social justice, India has decided to champion a key Coalition intervention “Responsible business practices for sustainable and inclusive societies.”
The event will also mark the Observance of the 74th Foundation Day of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), celebrating its pioneering contributions to social security and workers’ welfare in India.
The inaugural session will also include unveiling of key initiatives such as the e-Shram mobile application, and publications:
-Position Paper on transforming India’s Social Protection
Landscape through Data Pooling.
-Learnings and Reflections from the ISSA-ESIC International Seminar organized by India in January 2025.
-Best practices in responsible business conduct in India.
-Compendium on Social Protection in India.
-Shram Samarth: A Journey to Excellence.
A highlight of the event will be the formal announcement of joining of the Global Coalition by prominent Indian workers’ and employers’ organizations from India as partners. A joint statement on responsible business conduct is also expected to be released by India’s largest workers’ organization Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and India’s key employers’ organization (CII-EFI), reflecting the collaborative resolve of Indian workers’ organizations and industry towards inclusive and sustainable development.
Through this key Coalition event, India aims to reaffirm its commitment to leading the global march towards social justice and inclusive growth and leveraging global partnerships to drive meaningful action. The outcomes of this event are expected to inform future strategies for universal social protection and fostering responsible business ecosystems, contributing to the broader objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Decent Work Agenda.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
