TUAC representatives urged OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members to prioritise decent work; support trade unions, social dialogue, and collective bargaining; and address the widening SDG financing gap during the DAC High Level Meeting held in Paris on 20 March.
Evidence shows decent work and strong unions lift people out of poverty and uphold labour rights. What's more, they strengthen democratic institutions.
Despite this evidence, development aid for labour programmes remains inadequate. The share of official development assistance (ODA) marked for labour rights and social dialogue was drastically low in 2023 at just 0.16% and 0.02% of total ODA respectively.
The meeting takes place as progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 continues to falter. Ashley Benjamin, FEDUSA Deputy General Secretary, painted a stark picture of the current situation:
The world is not on track to achieve the SDGs. If the financing gap continues at its 2015-2023 rate, it will reach USD 6.4 trillion by 2030. We need urgent action.
TUAC expressed concern about the current state of development aid, noting that in 2024, 92 countries spent more on external debt service than on SDG investments. This challenge is compounded by recent cuts to ODA, with many governments prioritising military expenditure over development cooperation.
In response to these challenges, TUAC presented a comprehensive set of recommendations. Ahead of the Fourth Financing for Development Conference in Spain this summer, TUAC urged DAC members to take three concrete actions: reaffirm the commitment to dedicate at minimum 0.7% of GNI to official development assistance; align private finance with the SDGs by ensuring compliance with human and labour rights; and ensure policy coherence through international financial institutions reform.
At the core of TUAC’s vision for development cooperation is putting decent work at the centre of strategies, recognising trade unions as key development partners, and prioritising social protection as a human right. TUAC will continue to advocate for these priorities in upcoming international development forums.
