OREANDA-NEWS. April 06, 2016. The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder, has welcomed a call by the Federal Chancellor of Germany and the Head of international organizations to strengthen efforts to promote decent work and inclusive growth “drawing on the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda”, with a special emphasis on better implementation of labour, social and environmental standards.

“I am pleased that we renewed our commitment to create good and safe work conditions, rising incomes and real prospects for all who want to work, while simultaneously promoting gender equality,” said Ryder at the end of a meeting in Berlin with Chancellor Merkel, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria and WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo.

Participants focused on the current state of the global economy, insisting on the need to further focus on proactive measures to support recovery and ensure growth.

“With global unemployment expected to rise by 2.3 million in 2016 according to ILO forecast, I strongly believe that ambitious demand and supply-side measures for labour markets, education, skills and training can help create more productive, dynamic and inclusive economies and societies,” said the ILO Director-General.

Participants reiterated their commitment to help Member States implement the 2030 Agenda and achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The final statement also mentions concrete steps such as the G7 initiative on sustainable global supply chains and the launch of the Vision Zero Fund managed by the ILO aimed at preventing work-related accidents including in global supply chains.