ILO Champions Decent Work as Key to Crisis Recovery at ECOSOC Meeting

At the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Meeting on Transition from Relief to Development, held in Geneva on 17 June 2025, the International Labour Organization (ILO) made a powerful call to position decent work and inclusive employment at the heart of crisis response and recovery strategies.

The meeting served as a precursor to the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment (HAS)—one of the world’s most influential platforms for coordinating global humanitarian and development policy.

Representing the ILO, Deputy Director-General Celeste Drake participated in a high-level panel titled “Mobilising Partnerships, Solutions, and Financing for Countries and People in Crisis Contexts.” The session brought together diplomats, UN officials, development experts, and donors to explore how to bridge humanitarian action with long-term, inclusive development pathways.

“Access to employment, livelihoods, and labour rights is not just a development goal,” Drake emphasized. “It is a critical enabler of social cohesion, economic recovery, and sustainable peace in crisis-affected contexts.”

Decent Work as a Foundation, Not an Afterthought

The central theme of Drake’s remarks was clear: decent work must be integrated into humanitarian-development-peace strategies from the very beginning, rather than treated as a post-crisis add-on.

She referenced the ILO’s Recommendation 205 on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience, which provides a normative framework for anchoring crisis response in decent work principles.

“Decent work and institution-building are not add-ons. They are prerequisites for resilience,” she stated.

Drake highlighted the ILO’s role in promoting:

• Employment-intensive public works programs

• Local economic development initiatives

• Social protection schemes

• Enterprise recovery and capacity-building for workers’ organizations

These approaches, she noted, align emergency response with long-term structural development.

Financing and Partnerships: A Shared Responsibility

Drake also called attention to the critical role of donors and development partners in advancing integrated approaches, singling out Sweden as a key supporter of ILO’s crisis-response work.

“Support from partners like Sweden ensures that development actors like the ILO have a seat at the table in crisis settings,” Drake said. “This allows for the representation of workers, employers, and national institutions from the outset.”

She urged greater alignment around national ownership, advocating for:

• Governments in the lead

• UN Resident Coordinators (UNRCs) coordinating multi-agency efforts

• Donors aligning with systemic and inclusive approaches

Ground Realities from Haiti: A Call for Continued Engagement

Ulrike Richardson, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, provided a compelling field perspective.

She emphasized that development work must continue even in crisis settings, noting that abandoning long-term development exacerbates fragility.

“We have insisted on continuing development work even in difficult conditions,” she said. “Agencies like the ILO, FAO, and UNESCO have remained on the ground and their collaboration with local institutions is essential to address the root causes of conflict and create alternatives to violence.”

Ambassador Robert Rae of Canada echoed this sentiment, using Haiti as a case study for the triple nexus (humanitarian-development-peace). “Haiti is a clear example where the Nexus should work,” he said. “Progress on each pillar must reinforce the others.”

From Siloes to Synergies: ECOSOC’s Broader Vision

The Geneva session reinforced the central theme of the ECOSOC Transition Framework: the need for coherent, cross-sectoral approaches that reduce dependency, strengthen national systems, and empower communities, especially those most affected by crisis.

Panel co-chairs Ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski (Poland) and Ambassador Maritza Chan-Valverde (Costa Rica) facilitated discussions that emphasized:

• Aligning humanitarian finance with development priorities

• Anchoring interventions in local institutions

• Ensuring inclusive participation of marginalized groups, including women, youth, and forcibly displaced people

ILO’s Contribution: Jobs, Dialogue, and Resilience

The ILO’s approach—rooted in social dialogue, institutional support, and inclusive employment strategies—was recognized during the session as a model for effective, resilient recovery.

“We must build partnerships that are not only responsive but rooted in national leadership and long-term vision,” said Drake. “That’s how we build resilience—not just to bounce back, but to bounce forward.”

The ILO’s participation highlighted its commitment to bridging the humanitarian-development divide through employment-based solutions that strengthen peace and inclusion. As global crises multiply—from conflict to climate-related disasters—Drake’s message to the international community was clear: decent work must be at the center of any durable solution.