Brussels, 23/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - Following their meeting in Washington on 20 and 21 April (EUROPE 10123 and 10122), the G20 employment ministers have handed their “recommendations on employment” to the president of the United States, Barack Obama. This document will help the G20 heads of state and government in drafting their future economic policies and serve as a platform for coordinating strategies at the next G20 summit taking place in Canada in June.
The ministers note that growth is beginning to pick up in some countries, but that global unemployment has reached historic levels. Their recommendations include: speeding up job creation and guaranteeing sustainable growth in future; strengthening social protection systems; fostering active job market policies; making employment and poverty reduction central to national and global economic strategies; improving the quality of jobs, and preparing the working population for future challenges and opportunities.
The Spanish Council Presidency indicated in a press release that ministers based their recommendations on a report by the ILO (International Labour Organisation) stating that the G20 saved or created 21 million jobs between 2009 and 2010, although half the world's 3 million workers are without stable jobs. (G.B./transl.fl)