From 30 November to 1 December, representatives from the G7 member states, the EU, international organisations, the social partners and engagement groups representing young people (Youth7) and women (Women7) met at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Berlin to mark Germany's handover of the employment track to Japan for its upcoming G7 Presidency. Participants reflected on Germany's G7 Presidency as regards the employment track, the initiatives and achievements based on the Wolfsburg communiqué and the issues that should continue to be top priorities on the multilateral agenda. After this review of what had been learned, Germany passed the gavel to Japan. Japan, which will hold the G7 Presidency starting in January 2023, has already given an initial presentation of its priorities in the field of labour and social affairs.
"Just Transition - Make it Work" was the slogan for the employment track part of Germany's Presidency this year, during which it promoted policies to ensure that structural change was fair and to preserve decent jobs in a socially and environmentally-oriented market economy. In her opening speech, State Secretary Lilian Tschan emphasised the importance for the global community of continuity in joint social and employment policy-making within the G7: A permanent G7 working group on employment was established during Germany's Presidency to achieve such continuity. Apart from dealing with these issues, the G7 issued a clear condemnation of Russia's war of aggression while addressing its consequences for labour markets.
We have adjusted our priorities swiftly and also looked at the social impact of rising prices for food and energy that the war has caused, focussing on how to provide relief for individuals with low incomes, because as democratic industrialised nations it is above all social cohesion that makes us strong.State Secretary Lilian Tschan
The highlight of the G7 Presidency for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs was the G7 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting in Wolfsburg on 24 May 2022. The G7 member states agreed on the next steps towards a just transition during this period of structural change in an ambitious communiqué, aiming to promote employability, improve health and safety at work and strengthen social protection systems worldwide.
Within the framework of the G7 Presidency, the international partners also met for events on specific topics: The G7 conference on sustainable value chains got the ball rolling. The aim was to improve the international human rights situation and shore up decent jobs worldwide by making it obligatory to implement corporate due diligence in global supply chains. Next came the G7 Global Inclusion Summit on participation and inclusion for persons with disabilities. Most recently, experts from the G7 occupation health and safety institutions met in Dresden. Improved networking for these institutions is one step on the roadmap adopted in Wolfsburg towards safe and healthy workplaces in a green economy.