This Forum, jointly organised with the European Commission, in close cooperation with the International Labour Office, will echo the numerous contributions of the European Union and of international fora on the subject.

The Forum aims to discuss in how far efforts to promote the Decent Work Agenda made over the last decade are being maintained in times of crisis and recovery. It will also debate how the European Union should develop the external dimension of its employment and social policies in the years ahead with a view to enhancing decent work on a global scale.

The Forum, jointly organised by the Belgian EU Presidency, the European Commission and the ILO, will address these questions, bringing together representatives of EU institutions, Member States, social partners, NGO’s as well as participants from the EU’s strategic partners (notably key emerging economies) and International Organisations.

While addressing recent developments and strategic prospects for the next decade, the Forum will build on the solid basis of the internationally recognised Decent Work Agenda, as most recently underlined by the 2008 ILO Social Justice Declaration and the 2009 Global Jobs Pact, and the established set of international labour standards. The Forum should reaffirm the European Union’s strong commitment to this agenda, which has been firmly anchored since the European Commission’s 2006 Decent Work communication and put into practice since then.

The Forum aims to discuss together with representatives of our global partners how the policy dialogues at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels contribute to fostering this commitment. It should highlight how both the EU and its partners can benefit from learning from each other on key issues of Decent Work. This should be discussed by focusing on the contribution of policy dialogues for selected priority themes in the promotion of Decent Work, which have become increasingly salient, both in the EU and its partners:

1. Enhancing Decent Work opportunities for young people;

2. Addressing the new challenges for Decent Work in the green economy;

3. The Forum will also look at how trade policy instruments can contribute to advancing Decent Work globally, highlighting recent developments in this area by the EU and some of its global partners.

For more information, please go to the official website: www.decentworkforum.eu