EESC President

On 13 June, EESC President Oliver Röpke participated in the inaugural forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, an initiative launched by the International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert Houngbo and which the EESC joined in January 2024. Speaking at the forum, President Röpke reaffirmed the EESC's dedication to championing social justice in European and around the world. 

The Global Coalition has now gathered the support of around 300 partners worldwide. In his speech, President Röpke praised the initiative, as a powerful inspiration showing the remarkable drive and leadership of the ILO in advancing the social agenda. The EESC fully supports those efforts as a way to achieve both social and economic upward convergence. The President recalled the importance of decent and good quality work, as well as investment in social protection. In this context, he urged addressing the concerns raised by new forms of work and platform work. He also underlined the need to strengthen sustainability and resilience in global value and supply chains.

The EU’s Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Nepal's President Ram Chandra Poudel, and World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, participated in the forum alongside President Röpke.