Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah has urged Asian-Pacific countries to encourage efforts toward inclusive and human-centered post-pandemic recovery that are in line with the International Labor Organization’s (ILO’s) campaign.

“It is time for Asia-Pacific (countries) to rise together by promoting cooperation, solidarity, social justice, and the spirit of humanity,” she said at the ILO’s 17th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting here on Wednesday.

Countries in the Asia-Pacific region that are looking to boost their national productivity and achieve human-centered recovery must focus on four priorities, she said.

First, they must keep carrying out sustainable human resource development.

The minister said that bolstering skill development programs would help prepare the workforce, especially the youth, women, workers in the informal sector, persons with disabilities, and migrant workers to face uncertainties in the future.

“One of the relevant initiative strategies, which might be suitable (to be implemented) in the Asia-Pacific region (to increase skill development) is community-based vocational training,” she said.

The other priority is creating institutional frameworks to support people working in the informal sector to become formal workers with decent jobs since they usually have limited opportunities to obtain decent work, she informed.

She said that this can be achieved by encouraging job formalization, for instance, by simplifying business registration, providing incentives, raising awareness on the importance of job formalization, as well as giving financial and technical support.

Furthermore, countries in the Asia-Pacific region need to prioritize the establishment of a strong foundation for social and employment protection.

“Comprehensive, adequate, and effective social and employment protection is key pillar of inclusive growth. It also contributes to ensuring a sustainable, fair, and inclusive labor market as well as increasing the resilience of our economy,” Fauziyah noted.

Meanwhile, the fourth priority is to strengthen multilateralism to promote human-centered development and recovery programs.

Hence, the minister invited the ILO to help Asian-Pacific countries carry out these priorities and encouraged the countries in the region to collaborate for overcoming global challenges in employment.

“Indonesia is ready to cooperate with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region through social dialogue to create the best conditions for our government, workers, and business players,” she said.

Source: Antara News