Work Values and the Quality of Employment
People experience development and globalization primarily through their work. It is not just about having a job. It is about the quality of employment that provides an adequate income to keep workers and their families out of poverty. It is about basic rights at work and a voice in decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods. It is about having security in times of misfortune. All these are key ingredients of a decent job which stands for dignity of work, promotes a sense of self worth and ensures family stability.
It has been acknowledged in a number of international forums, including the 2005 World Summit, the 2006 UN Economic and Social Council, the UN Chief Executives Board of 2007 and by the UN Commission for Social Development, that making full, productive and decent employment for all a central objective of relevant national and international policies and development strategies is the main route out of poverty for the world’s poor. The United Nations system as well as the European Union (EU) have endorsed the Decent Work Agenda as contributing significantly to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and in particular target 1B of MDG 1.
The ILO has developed a number of responses to assist international and national efforts to mainstream decent work objectives into their initiatives, including the development of decent work indicators, and a decent work toolkit to assist other agencies in the UN system to mainstream decent work objectives into their own policies and programmes. Decent and productive employment is now a priority in Pakistan’s national development agenda’s documents such as Vision 2030 and is also a key theme in the One UN Programme in Pakistan.
This issue of Pakistan Employment Trends 2011, analyses Pakistan’s progress in creating “full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people”, as a prerequisite for achieving MDG-1, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.
It has been acknowledged in a number of international forums, including the 2005 World Summit, the 2006 UN Economic and Social Council, the UN Chief Executives Board of 2007 and by the UN Commission for Social Development, that making full, productive and decent employment for all a central objective of relevant national and international policies and development strategies is the main route out of poverty for the world’s poor. The United Nations system as well as the European Union (EU) have endorsed the Decent Work Agenda as contributing significantly to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and in particular target 1B of MDG 1.
The ILO has developed a number of responses to assist international and national efforts to mainstream decent work objectives into their initiatives, including the development of decent work indicators, and a decent work toolkit to assist other agencies in the UN system to mainstream decent work objectives into their own policies and programmes. Decent and productive employment is now a priority in Pakistan’s national development agenda’s documents such as Vision 2030 and is also a key theme in the One UN Programme in Pakistan.
This issue of Pakistan Employment Trends 2011, analyses Pakistan’s progress in creating “full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people”, as a prerequisite for achieving MDG-1, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.