Decent work for all

In its Decent Work Agenda, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) stated its goal to strive for economic growth with equity through a coherent balance between the social and economic goals.

The Decent Work Agenda addresses the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and stresses that decent employment and incomes must be at the heart of economic and social policy.

Promoting gender equality and empowerment of women, and improving maternal health are two of the MDGs which the ILO Agenda has focused on.

The four elements of the ILO agenda are:

• Employment - the principal route out of poverty is productive work;

• Rights - without them, men and women will not be empowered to escape from poverty;

• Protection - social protection safeguards against poverty; and

• Dialogue - the participation of employers' and workers' organisations in shaping government policy for poverty reduction is its key to success.

Together with partners, the ILO's work aims at the "more peaceful, prosperous and just world" as envisaged in the Millennium Declaration (2000).

More information can be viewed on www.ilo.org/mdg