Oslo Conference calls for cooperation and new growth to address global jobs crisis

13 September Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg hosted an international conference in Oslo on the challenges of growth, employment and social cohesion, bringing together heads of state and government, the heads of the ILO and the IMF, trade union leaders, academics and employers from around the world.

“The financial crisis has created a global jobs crisis, particularly among young people. We need to cooperate on pursuing an active policy to fight permanent unemployment, and we must learn from each other,” said Prime Minister Stoltenberg.

This is the first time such a conference has been co-hosted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Mr Stoltenberg underscored the need for cooperation at both international and national level to deal with the ongoing crisis in the labour market. “By holding this conference, the ILO and the IMF are sending an important signal to the world about the kind of cooperation that is needed to secure new growth in the global economy and create new employment opportunities,” said the Prime Minister.

The vast challenges we are facing in labour markets around the world provide the backdrop to the conference. Since 2007, unemployment figures have swelled by over 30 million people. In many countries this adds to already considerable problems related to under-employment, poor working conditions and weak workers’ rights.

“I am pleased that the IMF and the ILO at the conference agreed to work together on policy development in two important areas,” said Mr Stoltenberg. Firstly, the two organisations will explore the concept of a social protection floor for people living in poverty and in vulnerable situations, within the context of a medium- to long-term framework of sustainable macroeconomic policies and strategies for development. Secondly, they will focus on policies to promote employment-creating growth.

“We must not forget that the high unemployment figures represent the lives of individual human beings all around the world – mothers and fathers who are fighting to keep the creditors at bay so they can provide a decent home for their children, or who are worried that their children will have to go to bed hungry. When all is said and done, economic policy and politics are about people,” said Minister of Finance Sigbjørn Johnsen in his closing remarks.

“This conference shows that there is great interest in the Norwegian model, and, just as importantly, that effective crisis management requires effective cooperation between governments, trade unions and employers’ organisations. The Norwegian economy is characterised by a combination of responsible economic policies, comparatively small wage differences and a high degree of flexibility. Norway has succeeded better than most countries in limiting the increase in unemployment in the wake of the financial crisis,” said Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm.

In addition to Juan Somavia and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, heads of the ILO and the IMF respectively, a number of heads of state and government attended the conference in Oslo. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia was present, as was Prime Minister George Papandreou of Greece and Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain. Minister of Finance Christine Lagarde of France, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith of the UK and General Secretary Sharan of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) also participated in the discussions.

• Oslo Conference 2010
• Web-tv
• Photos on Flickr