“We are creating modern technologies, but we are leaving ancient walls of exclusion and injustice intact,” said Paula Narváez, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc), at the opening of the meeting.
The official added that it is imperative to reduce the barriers faced by women, young people, older or less prepared workers and migrants to enter the world of work with adequate salaries and social protection.
The Chilean UN Ambassador invited those present at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to view the latest figures on the subject.
Global unemployment rates continued their downward trend last year, falling to 5.1 percent worldwide, matching pre-pandemic records except in the poorest countries.
However, he pointed out that the numbers tell one story, but the reality of working people tells another, as the statistics do not reflect the significant lack of adequate wages nor the rise of the informal market around the world.
The demand for new skills amid digital waves that include artificial intelligence and the barriers erected by large monopolies to new entrants are limiting technology adoption in less competitive sectors and poor countries, he said. According to Narváez, rather than putting our species at the service of innovation, we can use these tools to create more just and prepared societies.
“To strengthen our hope, we must approach technological progress with a critical and prudent attitude, the purpose of which is the global care of humanity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren recalled that decent work with access to fair income, security and social protection is not only a means of reducing inequalities but also promoting inclusion.
At that point, he stated, the world's richest 100 percent increased their income by 27 percentage points, while the poorest 50 percent did so by only 12 percentage points.
By 2030, when the Sustainable Development Goals must be met, 190 million people will be unemployed, 300 million workers will live in extreme poverty and 2.78 million will die annually from work-related accidents or illnesses.
The Chilean foreign minister cited a World Economic Forum report that said digitalization and automation will displace 85 million jobs worldwide.
However, in addition to social, environmental and digital changes, these transformations can also create new sources of work if they focus on public policies with human rights and lifelong education perspectives.
mem/car/eam