BRICS EWG and Research Network Forum convene in SA to exchange and cement ideas on shared global development.
The Department of Employment and Labour will next week play host to the first scheduled – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) countries’ Employment Working Group (EWG) and the BRICS Research Network Forum meetings planned in 2023.
At the beginning of the year South Africa assumed BRICS presidency for 2023. As part of government discharging its responsibilities the Department of Employment and Labour will coordinate the labour and employment stream(s) during the Republic of South Africa presidency in 2023.
This stream entails arranging the BRICS Employment Working Group meetings and the BRICS Network of Labour Research Institutes meetings and the 9th BRICS Labour and Employment Minister’s Meeting (LEMM) in 2023.
Department of Employment and Labour’s Acting Deputy Director-General of Labour Policy & Industrial Relations (LP&IR) branch, Sipho Ndebele confirmed that the BRICS EWG and BRICS Research Network Forum meetings will be held parallel. Ndebele said during the parallel sessions – the BRICS EWG will bring together the technical minds and the BRICS Research Network Forum will bring together the researchers to exchange ideas on major issues of common concern and formulate responses.
To kick-start the engagements the first local (SA) meeting will be held from 21-24 February 2023. It will be followed by another session from 09-12 May 2023, 19 June 2023 (consultative in Geneva) and culminating in a BRICS LEMM from 20-23 September 2023.
Ndebele said SA Presidency of BRICS provides it with an opportunity to promote regional and global issues on the back of skyrocketing unemployment and health fallout created by the pandemic.
South Africa on 1st January 2023 formally assumed the Presidency of BRICS for a period of one year after succeeding the Peoples Republic of China. It will be the third time South Africa takes the reigns of Presidency of BRICS. The organisation is developing into a major economic bloc that includes: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It was formed on 16 June 2009, and South Africa joined BRICS in December 2010.
South Africa’s theme for its Presidency is: “Ensuring decent work, dignity and respect for all”.
Some of the topics of discussion/presentations will include: BRICS Research Network Work plan for 2023; an ILO presentation on: “Impact of Covid-19 on Employment and Global labour market: From one crisis to the next”; lessons learnt from Covid-19 pandemic for building universal social protection systems; improving the continuity and resilience of social security services and systems; brief overview of social protection in BRICS countries; social protection for informal workers in South Africa; differences between formal and informal workers’ outcomes during the COVID-19 crisis lockdown in South Africa; the effect of wage subsidies on job retention; cash transfers to the unemployed support economic activity; an expert panel on Basic Income Support; and productivity ecosystems.
The parallel meetings will be addressed by speakers that include: SA’s Employment and Labour Deputy Minister Boitumelo Moloi, Department’s Director-General Thobile Lamati, experts from local academia, international experts and technical experts from BRICS member countries.
As part of the Africa Outreach programmes countries such as Botswana, eSwatini, Malawi, Namibia and Zimbabwe have been invited to participate in the BRICS EWG and Research Network Forum meetings. The African Union is also invited and will share the platform with the International Labour Oganization (ILO), African Regional Labour Administration Centre (ARLAC) and the International Social Security Association (ISSA) – will provide technical support during the meetings.
Source: Government of South Africa