What does it mean to be a partner of the Global Deal?
A key aspect of being a partner to the Global Deal is to uphold and advance the principles underlined by the Declaration of Support through the development and implementation of voluntary commitments, which are concrete actions that contribute to realising the objectives of the Global Deal. Commitments can cover a number of different actions, areas and levels, taking into account partners’ differing capacities and the respective contexts in which they operate.
Partnership in the Global Deal is open to a broad range of actors, including governments, businesses and employers’ organisations, trade unions, international and civil society organisations, as well as local and regional administrations. The Global Deal provides them with an opportunity and means to exchange ideas and good practices, participate in joint projects, share lessons learned and both seek and provide policy advice.
Does the Global Deal require partners to undertake additional reporting?
Joining the Global Deal does not imply any additional reporting. Partners are encouraged to make and share commitments and good practices on a voluntary basis. They are encouraged to showcase these so that they may serve as an inspiration to others. There is nothing in the Global Deal that is legally binding.
The main follow-up tool to the Global Deal is a biennial flagship report, which focuses on how partners are carrying out the objectives of the Global Deal through the voluntary commitments they have made. The report does not assess commitments made by partners, but rather highlights good practices and innovative solutions. It includes an assessment of how partners’ social dialogue policies, practices and programmes contribute to advancing decent work and inclusive growth.
What is the role of the ILO and the OECD in the Global Deal?
The Global Deal was initiated by the Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven in 2016, and developed in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as founding partners. The Global Deal bring the mutually reinforcing agendas of decent work and inclusive growth together by drawing on the comparative advantages of the two organisations and complementing existing efforts. It emerges from an appreciation that insufficient attention had been given to the the potential of social dialogue to contribute to sustainable development. As such, the partnership seeks to place social dialogue squarely on the international agenda and bring together the mutually reinforcing decent work and inclusive growth agendas.
Does the Global Deal promote a specific model of social dialogue?
The concept of social dialogue is broad, encompassing a variety of different institutional forms and processes. These vary across regions, countries, sectors and over time. The Global Deal does not advocate any specific model, as we do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach.
The Global Deal seeks to increase knowledge about the benefits of social dialogue by sharing experiences and good practices, highlighting numerous examples of social dialogue covering a multitude of different kind of agreements, bipartite as well as tripartite, social pacts, consultations, declarations and joint projects between the different stakeholders.
This diversity is reflected in the voluntary commitments undertaken by Global Deal partners, which are the result of their different institutional context and capacity. They show the broad range of initiatives to further social dialogue, be it through advocacy, corporate practice, research, knowledge sharing, capacity building, partnerships or policy development. Examples of partner’s commitments can be viewed online as part of the Global Deal Flagship Report 2022.
Is the Global Deal about promoting Global Framework Agreements?
The Global Deal does not promote any specific form of social dialogue. Some businesses that have joined the Global Deal have signed Global Framework agreements, while others have not. There is no requirement to do so. The Global Deal merely promotes social dialogue as a means to address issues in the labour market, including in the context of international migration, trade, and supply chains. It is up to each of the labour market actors to decide how they would like to enhance social dialogue and sound industrial relations.
How does the Global Deal relate to Agenda 2030?
The Global Deal constitutes a concrete input to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is a vehicle for accelerating change and a tool for delivering on the SDGs, especially SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth and SDG 10 on reducing inequality within and among countries. In addition, the Global Deal represents in and of itself a potent expression of SDG 17 – working in partnership for the goals.
Partners in the Global Deal recognise the major role that social dialogue can play in the governance of labour markets and as a tool for rebuilding trust, addressing inequalities and achieving decent work and inclusive growth.
The Global Deal online course on “The 2030 Agenda, Decent Work and Social Dialogue” focuses on how to accelerate action on the implementation of the SDGs through social dialogue, including by showcasing good practices by Global Deal partners and other actors.
If you have additional questions, do not hesitate to contact the Global Deal Support Unit at globaldeal@oecd.org.