Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on leaders of the world’s biggest economies meeting in Cannes to ensure a global recovery that is sustainable, inclusive and creates real change for those hit hardest.
He noted that unemployment is rising almost everywhere, and more and more young people have no jobs and few prospects of finding one. In addition, economic inequalities are widening and poverty is growing.
He stressed that the two-day summit of the G-20 must be about more than “financial fire-fighting.”
The time has come, he stated, to write “a new social contract for the 21st century” – one that includes a global jobs pact.
He noted that in recent decades, labour’s share of income has fallen, and the gap between those who work hard and those who reap the greatest rewards continues to grow.