Employment decent work for all and social protection

Employment, Decent Work, and Social Protection are fundamental pillars of sustainable economic growth and integral elements of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, they are emphasized in SDG 8: "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all". Decent work is characterized by fair wages, secure employment contracts, safe working conditions, and the right to join or form a trade union. It is essential for poverty eradication, reducing inequalities, and fostering social inclusion, directly contributing to multiple SDGs, such as SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Decent work also links with SDG 4 (Quality Education), as higher education levels often lead to better job opportunities, thereby promoting a cycle of improvement. Meanwhile, social protection is closely aligned with SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), as it shields vulnerable groups from social and economic risks and ensures access to healthcare, food, and other basic needs. Social protection systems, such as unemployment benefits, pensions, and maternity protection, mitigate social inequalities and vulnerabilities, reducing poverty and ensuring social justice.

Furthermore, the interdependence of employment, decent work, social protection, and the SDGs, underscores the need for an integrated approach to sustainable development. Ensuring decent work and social protection for all not only supports economic growth but also advances socio-cultural development and fosters environmental sustainability, resonating with the three pillars of sustainable development – economy, society, and environment. Hence, the pursuit of decent work and comprehensive social protection for all, contributes to a broad-based and balanced progress towards the attainment of the SDGs.

Background: The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor study 2013 (GBD 2013) is the first of a series of annual updates of the GBD. Risk factor quantification, particularly of modifiable risk factors, can help to identify emerging threats to population health and opportunities for prevention. The GBD 2013 provides a timely opportunity to update the comparative risk assessment with new data for exposure, relative risks, and evidence on the appropriate counterfactual risk distribution.
LexisNexis Legal & Professional,

Business Insight Solutions and STOP THE TRAFFIK, December 2015

Three billion cups of tea are drunk each day; it's the world's second most popular drink after water. Yet tea workers are often targeted by human traffickers and coerced into forced labour, domestic servitude and in some cases the sex industry. This report looks at the tea industry in Kenya, Sri Lanka and India to highlight supply chain issues and working conditions, to contribute to the advancement of SDG target 8.7 to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking by 2025.
This critical review aims to integrate the literature on stigma towards transgender people in the US, contributing to SDG 10 (reduced inequalities). Such stigmas limit transgender access to resources in a number of critical domains including healthcare and employment, impacting SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth).
Elsevier, Social Science and Medicine, Volume 128, March 01, 2015
There is a very large literature examining income inequality in relation to health. Early reviews came to different interpretations of the evidence, though a large majority of studies reported that health tended to be worse in more unequal societies. More recent studies, not included in those reviews, provide substantial new evidence. Our purpose in this paper is to assess whether or not wider income differences play a causal role leading to worse health.
This report demonstrates how companies can help to advance all 17 SDGs by operating responsibly in alignment with universal principles and finding opportunities to innovate to address societal challenges. Through a commitment to the UN Global Compact, companies are taking the first step to contribute to achieving the SDGs and have access to a range of tools to scale up their efforts.
Advancing goal 5 requires governments to bring down legal barriers that restrict economic opportunities for women. This report is a call to action from business to create more inclusive economic growth.

Voluntary standards are gaining in importance in global markets for high-value foods. We analyze and compare impacts of three sustainability-oriented standards - Fairtrade, Organic, and UTZ - on the livelihoods of smallholder coffee farmers in Uganda. Using survey data and propensity score matching with multiple treatments, we find that Fairtrade certification increases household living standards by 30% and reduces the prevalence and depth of poverty. For the other two certification schemes, no significant impacts are found.

This report sets out five defining features of corporate sustainability, which the Global Compact asks businesses to strive towards – looking at why each element is essential, how business can move forward and what the Global Compact is doing to help. It aligns with most of the SDGs but primarily goal 8 on decent work and economic growth and goal 17 on partnership for the goals.
A primer explaining the inclusive business models companies can use to work towards Goal 1, Goal 8 and Goal 10
This report offers practical advice and sparks of inspiration for creating child labour free zone, which are issues covered by Goal 4, Goal 8, and Goal 12

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