“Social Justice takes us all” says ILO Director General Gilbert F. Houngbo
“Social justice is not an ethereal ideal, but a concrete necessity,” declared Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, as he opened the second annual Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, held alongside the 113th International Labour Conference in Geneva.
Addressing a diverse assembly of Ministers and senior officials, President Abinader emphasized that sustainable development hinges on the promotion of fairness and equity in the world of work. “If there is one area where that justice must take root,” he said, “it is in the world of work.”
The Forum marked a pivotal moment for the Global Coalition for Social Justice, bringing together more than 370 partners, including governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, development banks, NGOs, and academic institutions. Since its launch in 2023, the Coalition has rapidly evolved into a dynamic platform for collective action to generate ground impact.
Brazil’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Luiz Marinho, representing both his government and the Coalition’s Coordinating Group as Vice-Chair, affirmed this shift toward implementation. “In 2025, we go from shared ambition to concrete development,” he said, highlighting the Coalition’s commitment to moving from principles to policy.
International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo also praised the Coalition’s rapid progress, noting its transformation into a results-driven initiative. “We are seeing increasingly tangible results that reflect the cooperative vision that animates the Global Coalition,” Houngbo said. “Achieving social justice takes us all.”
Roberto Suárez Santos, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), called the Coalition “a concrete and dynamic platform and the consecration of Director-General Houngbo’s vision” to make social justice the heart of the global agenda.
Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), echoed this commitment to global cooperation. “This is a key time for history, with a threat to peace and social justice,” he warned. “The Global Coalition is a renewed commitment to multilateralism to reinforce the fight against inequalities.”
This year’s Forum focused on six high-impact areas through a series of discussions between partners to advance the social justice agenda particularly in the lead-up to the Second world Summit on Social Development in November 2025 in Qatar.
A summary of each panel can be downloaded here.
All the sessions can be viewed on the ILO live page here.