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Our world faces challenges to social justice, stemming from overlapping crises and long-term structural economic transformations. Rising rates of extreme poverty, working poverty, child labour, youth unemployment, and informal work underscore the urgency of addressing inequalities and ensuring decent work globally.

In this context, multilateral cooperation is crucial to leverage the inter-linkages between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and accelerate progress towards their achievement. In order to catalyze concerted actions and drive impact, FAO systematically collaborates with member countries and non-state actors such as other UN agencies, civil and producer organizations, academic and research institutions as well as private sector entities.

Given this scenario, the Organization has recently joined two global initiatives, both set up with the common goal to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions and the Global Coalition for Social Justice.

Global Coalition for Social Justice

The Global Coalition for Social Justice was established by the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in November 2023. It unites partners from the UN system, governments, employers' and workers' organizations, international institutions, enterprises, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions Its mission is to foster multilateral cooperation and partnerships, accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Coalition serves as a platform to generate political commitments, investments and concrete actions that support social justice in alignment with national priorities. In particular, the Coalition collaborates by enhancing advocacy, promoting policy coherence, and generating knowledge.

FAO joined the Coalition in 2023, underlining that its ultimate goal– to achieve a greater balance amongst the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development - is fully aligned with FAO's Strategic Framework 2022-31, which seeks to support the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.  

Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transition

Along the same lines of work, FAO has also joined the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transition. Launched in September 2021 by the UN Secretary-General, this is a UN system’s collective response for addressing the multiple challenges that threaten to erase development progress. As shown in the ILO Monitor on the world of work of 2023, the global jobs gap was projected to stand at 453 million people and 4 billion people were still lacking social protection coverage.

The Global Accelerator aims to respond to that gap by supporting to create decent jobs, mostly in the green, digital and care economies, as well as extending social protection to the billions of people who are currently excluded from accessing this human right. Given the difficulties of creating enough jobs, in particular for new labour market entrances, inadequate access to social protection, in particular in rural areas, and overall low labour incomes in various sectors, poverty is on the rise globally.

This has therefore highlighted the need to focus on the social dimension of Agenda 2030 for more sustainable and inclusive economic growth. At country level, this requires a more collective approach strategy that promotes full and productive employment and decent work in order to address poverty and socio-economic inequalities.

To achieve this goal, the Global Accelerator on Jobs, and Social Protection for a Just Transition, serve as platforms for investment towards a job-rich transition using integrated national financing frameworks (INFFs) to drive financial resources efficiently. Closing decent work and social protection gaps is essential to speed up the process towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, making social justice a reality for all, leaving no one behind.