Rudi Delarue Director ILO Office for the EU and the Benelux countries

1. Towards a new role for the private sector ? Stakeholders meeting of the Belgian development cooperation Rudi Delarue Director ILO Office for the EU and the Benelux countries

2. Towards a new role for the private sector ? • The debate is timely and welcomed • ILO brings together the actors of the real economy: employers, workers, governments of 183 countries • ILO covers the world of work in an integrated way combining economic efficiency with social justice • Social, employment, economic, financial and environmental policies go hand in hand • Not economic growth versus human development and governance

3. Towards a new role for the private sector ? • A fragmented and isolated approach will not work: for instance MDGs should not be taken in isolation; part of a more integrated approach involving also inclusive growth, income opportunities, income distribution and rights • Effective public- private partnership (PPP)/cooperation is essential for promoting inclusive growth and sustainable development • Private sector has an interest in promoting governance and capacity building of public institutions and private actors

4. Towards a new role for the private sector ? • Interest in having mechanisms/systems transforming growth into jobs into income and vice versa • Decent work including social protection floor • Sustainable enterprises framework: includes CSR but goes beyond (e.g. enabling public framework) • Support for voice and representation of workers, minimum wage fixing, minimum rules and practices on health and safety at work, link education with labour markets • Promoting women entrepreneurship • Role of private sector in fragile states

5. Support to private sector • Not only classic private profit making organisations • Social economy and cooperatives in Africa • Capacity building of organisations of the private sector such as employers and workers organisations and of bodies promoting social dialogue/representation • Need for an actor based approach • Not by general call for proposals targeting civil society in general • Donors should not create or support ad random/ad hoc private sector organisations • Potential in informal economy and rural sector

6. Towards a new role for the private sector? Examples • ILO helpdesk for business on international labour standards • IFC and EBRD social and environmental guidelines for loans to companies • Better work addressing decent work deficits in a sector, region, country: ILO, IFC, companies, public donors • Combating child labour in cacao sector going beyond formal economy of the supply chain • Suggestion: PPP on strengthening labour inspection and administration (instead of private audits and certification only) • Health coverage initiatives in rural, informal, semi-informal and formal economy (mutuelles) that can become part of a more comprehensive system (social protection floor) • Apprentiship systems, skills development and green economy

7. Thank you for the attention Useful references ILO helpdesk for Business on International Labour Standards http://www.ilo.org/empent/Areasofwork/business-helpdesk/lang--en/index.htm Framework for sustainable enterprises http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_ent/documents/publication/wcms_093970.pdf ILO reply to the EU Green paper on inclusive growth and sustainable development http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/eurpro/brussels/downloads/eugreenpaperiloreply.pdf Social economy and cooperatives in Africa http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/afpro/addisababa/events/socialeconomyoct12_09.htm Women entrepreneurship in Africa http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/afpro/addisababa/pdf/platformwed.pdf The UN social protection floor initiative (inspired by South-South cooperation, involvement of experts from developing countries, from emerging economies and from EU) http://www.socialsecurityextension.org/gimi/gess/ShowMainPage.do