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Decent Work


Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives. It involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.

Why Decent Work?

Creating conditions for sustainable and inclusive economic growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all are indispensable in to achieve sustainable development and eradicate poverty by 2030. Aligned with SDG 8, one of the goals of Switzerland’s Strategy for International Cooperation is to “Contribute to sustainable economic growth, market development and the creation of decent jobs”.

At the base of defining decent work the ILO identified four strategic objectives: (1) job creation, (2) rights at work, (3) social protection and (4) social dialogue, with gender equality as a crosscutting objective. 

In 2015, the four pillars of the decent work agenda became integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs. The political commitment for decent work is anchored in international human rights law, set out in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and subsequent treaties. As signatories to these treaties, Switzerland and its development partner states are legally obliged to respect, protect and fulfil, the right to freely chosen work, to full employment, to fair wages, to an adequate standard of living, to safe and healthy working conditions, to rest and leisure, to form and join trade unions, to strike, and the right to social security.

Addressing Decent Work

In early 2021 the networks employment and income (e+i) and Fragility, Conflict and Human Rights (FCHR) joined forces to operationalize the Swiss International Cooperation Strategy’s goal “Contribute to sustainable economic growth, market development and the creation of decent jobs”. Involving a large number of SDC focal points a discussion paper has been prepared (see below in English and French) and the topic is being discussed during an e-discussion of the two networks. Kindly find below the recording of the e-discussion kick-off webinar.
Working Aids
[666 kB]

Vocational skills development (VSD) supports individual development and is a powerful tool to integrate migrants and forcibly displaced populations into local economies and societies. The better educated and trained migrants are, the more they can take advantage of the opportunities migration offers and the greater the benefits for both countries of destination as well as countries of origin.  Migration and VSD are both important topics of the Dispatch on Switzerland’s International Cooperation 2021-24. This working tool brings the two topics together. It offers a structured analysis process that helps you to better integrate migrants into your VSD programs, or to use VSD as an intervention strategy in migration projects. The tool was developed jointly by the SDC Networks Employment and Income as well as Migration and Development.

Key Documents

SDC [868 kB]

Addressing Decent Work in international cooperation

Operationalising the Swiss International Cooperation Strategy’s goal “Contribute to sustainable economic growth, market development and the creation of decent jobs” 
Working paper, taking into account contributions to the e-discussion of the e+i and FCHR networks.
DDC [455 kB]
Aborder le travail décent dans la coopération internationale
Concrétisation de l’objectif de la stratégie suisse de coopération internationale intitulé « Contribuer à une croissance économique durable, a la création de marchés et à la création d’emplois décents »
Document de travail prenant en compte les contributions à la discussion en ligne des réseaux e+i et FCDH.
ILO/ SECO
The end-to-end process of a market systems analysis made simple
ILO, theLAB, SDC, seco
Covid-19 has a particularly strong impact on the informal market and on informal workers. This International Labour Organisation (ILO) report, funded by SECO, targets development practitioners and expands on how Market Systems Development projects can address some of the issues associated with informality and, in turn, support better work opportunities for the informally employed. The document is divided in three parts. The first part unpacks the concept of informality and its importance for decent work, the second part explores how MSD can be used to tackle informality and finally, on the third part, ILO exemplifies with three cases studies (Bolivia, Rwanda and Georgia).
SDC [1.5 MB]

This slide deck shows which changes around FoW can be anticipated for low and middle income countries and which possible implications these changes have for topics relevant to VSD / PSD / FSD projects.

It was developed by labour market economist Michael Morlok for an SDC internal webinar in December 2020 and is based on 6 international flagship reports (see "Relevant Documents" below), selected studies and interviews with development actors. 
[9.5 MB]

Work is the main way to achieve full participation in society and promote equal opportunities and in the case of people with intellectual disabilities, this becomes especially important as promote autonomy, self-regulation and economic independence. To contribute to inclusion, the Formación Técnica Profesional Project in Bolivia has created a Support Guide for Labour Inclusion for companies, that will allow the employer to assess the skills and abilities.

The Guide is also accessible online.
ILO This practical Policy Resource Guide is the first initiative to bring together a synthesis of knowledge, policy innovations and good practices facilitating transition to formality.
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Relevant Documents

Title Year Created Date
Memorandum of Understanding between Switzerland and ILO

2020

 2021-05-05 15:51:36
Is education the solution to decent work for youth in developing economies?

2014

 2017-11-05 15:00:30
Value Chain Development for Decent Work (en)

2009

 2015-03-18 18:31:11
Factsheet - Decent Work - A Target to Achieve the MDGs

2008

 2015-03-25 19:11:16
vsd factsheets - factsheet bangladesh promoting decent work

2015-08-27 05:52:29
Institution Title Year
Institution Title Year
ILO - Swiss Confederation Memorandum of Understanding between Switzerland and ILO

2020
ILO Is education the solution to decent work for youth in developing economies?

Is education the solution to decent work for youth in developing economies?

This report provides up-to-date evidence on the link between labour market outcomes and educational attainment for the population of youth in low- and middle-income countries. Based on the school-to-work transitions surveys (SWTSs) run in 2012-2013, the report summarizes the education profile of youth, identifies patterns of qualifications mismatch measured in over- and undereducation and examines rates of return to education.

2014
ILO Value Chain Development for Decent Work (en)

Value Chain Development for Decent Work (en)

This guide for development practitioners, government and private sector initiatives gives guidance on how to address the underlying causes of failures in the performance of market systems, rather than looking at symptoms in individual chains. This guide addresses Value Chain development from a market development perspective with a unique focus on how to achieve Decent Work.

2009
SDC Factsheet - Decent Work - A Target to Achieve the MDGs

Factsheet - Decent Work - A Target to Achieve the MDGs


This focus note provides an excellent summary about the decent work agenda and its contributions to the Millenium Development Goals. It provides information about SDC's position and links to further reading. 

2008
SDC vsd factsheets - factsheet bangladesh promoting decent work

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General Topics
Result Measurement
Migration
Governance
Gender
CBA
Fragility
Future of Work
Decent Work
LNOB
Digitalization
Systemic Approach

Relevant Events

  • 15 Nov 2021
    Future of Work e-discussion

    Future of Work e-discussion

    *Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels


    SDC’s Education and e+i Focal Points are organising an e-discussion on the Future of Work that will start on Monday 15 November and last until Thursday 25 November 2021. 

    The e-discussion started on 15 November with a 30-minute kick-off webinar in English and French. The recordings are available below.                                                       

    Would you like to invite other colleagues to the discussion? Great, they can register via the following link: dgroups future of work

    You cannot join the discussion actively but would like to receive a daily wrap-up? At https://dgroups.org you can set up 'my account' to receive summaries, so that you can still follow the discussion.


    Input Paper:

                     


    Webinar:
  • 03 May 2021
    Decent-Work e-discussion

    Decent-Work e-discussion

    Job creation is the first of four thematic priorities in Switzerland’s International Cooperation Strategy 2021-24. More specifically, objective 1 is defined as: "Contributing to sustainable economic growth, market development and the creation of decent jobs.»That is why the i+e Focal Point is organizing a series of webinars and e-discussions for the whole e+i network on two key aspects: Decent Work (May 3-12) and the Future of Work (early September 2021, tbc.). We are looking forward to exciting and enlightening discussions with you - thus save the dates!

    For more information and documentation of this event >> 2021-05 Decent-Work e-discussion
Show all
15 Nov 2021 15 November to 25 November 2021 15 November to 25 November 2021 15 November
Future of Work e-discussion

*Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels


SDC’s Education and e+i Focal Points are organising an e-discussion on the Future of Work that will start on Monday 15 November and last until Thursday 25 November 2021. 

The e-discussion started on 15 November with a 30-minute kick-off webinar in English and French. The recordings are available below.                                                       

Would you like to invite other colleagues to the discussion? Great, they can register via the following link: dgroups future of work

You cannot join the discussion actively but would like to receive a daily wrap-up? At https://dgroups.org you can set up 'my account' to receive summaries, so that you can still follow the discussion.


Input Paper:

                 


Webinar:
03 May 2021 03 May to 12 May 2021 03 May to 12 May 2021 03 May
Decent-Work e-discussion

Job creation is the first of four thematic priorities in Switzerland’s International Cooperation Strategy 2021-24. More specifically, objective 1 is defined as: "Contributing to sustainable economic growth, market development and the creation of decent jobs.»That is why the i+e Focal Point is organizing a series of webinars and e-discussions for the whole e+i network on two key aspects: Decent Work (May 3-12) and the Future of Work (early September 2021, tbc.). We are looking forward to exciting and enlightening discussions with you - thus save the dates!

For more information and documentation of this event >> 2021-05 Decent-Work e-discussion

​​Relevant Links

Title Year Created Date
ILO - Website on Decent Work

2018

 2018-06-08 08:55:09
  • ILO - Website on Decent Work

    ILO - Website on Decent Work

    Productive employment and decent work are key elements to achieving a fair globalization and poverty reduction. The ILO has developed an agenda for the community of work looking at job creation, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue, with gender equality as a crosscutting objective.

    2018
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