Tunis — Recent crises have deepened the economic imbalances associated with demographic transformations, technological developments, climate change, geopolitical tensions and increased forced migration, Minister of Social Affairs Kamel Maddouri underlined during his participation on June 13 in Geneva, in the Thematic Dialogue on Improving Coherence between Economic and Social Policies as part of the Inaugural Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice.
He further underscored the need to adapt to change and meet people's needs, welcoming the call by the World Trade Organisation Director-General to redefine globalisation.
Maddouri recalled that Tunisia had been a pioneer in incorporating the concepts of social justice, decent work, fair pay, social protection, the guarantee of fundamental rights and trade union rights into its constitution, in addition to its accession to the global coalition for social justice.
Decent work, he said, is a necessary but insufficient condition for achieving social justice, recalling the measures taken to reinforce the values of social justice, such as extending social security cover, protecting the social rights of migrants, eliminating all forms of precarious employment, guaranteeing a fair wage, revising the system of social security cover and the Labour Code, and combating all forms of exclusion and marginalisation.
The minister also underlined the need to support integrated programmes and policies aimed at creating decent and sustainable jobs, broadening social protection and facilitating fair and inclusive economic transitions.
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Maddouri further pinpointed the need to achieve coherence and complementarity between economic and social policies.
The participants in the forum indicated that societies work towards social justice in various ways, notably by protecting the most vulnerable and marginalised groups, reducing poverty and guaranteeing equal opportunities.
They affirmed that the global coalition for social justice will help build cohesion in the multilateral system and enhance the social dimension of sustainable development, by ensuring that social justice is prioritised in policy-making and in the implementation of activities at national, regional and global levels.
The Global Coalition for Social Justice aims to mobilise further political commitment and investment, and to encourage concrete action for social justice and decent work, in support of national priorities.
The Coalition will foster multilateral cooperation and partnerships and play a key role in advocating and mobilising for the recognition of social justice on the multilateral agenda, in particular at the proposed United Nations World Social Summit in 2025.
