ILO underscores role of decent work in transition from relief to development

GENEVA (ILO News) — The International Labour Organization (ILO) reaffirmed its commitment to connecting humanitarian aid with long-term development at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meeting on the Transition from Relief to Development, held in Geneva on 17 June.

ILO Deputy Director-General, Celeste Drake, took part in a high-level panel on mobilising partnerships, solutions, and financing for countries and people in crisis contexts. The event served as a lead-up to the annual United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment (HAS), one of the most important global platforms for policy coordination in aid and development.

© ILO

The afternoon’s high-level panel on Mobilising partnerships, solutions and financing, co-chaired by Ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski (Poland) and Ambassador Maritza Chan-Valverde (Costa Rica), examined ways to expand and align partnerships and financing mechanisms to support long-term recovery, resilience, and inclusion.

Among the key themes was the importance of anchoring crisis response efforts in national systems, with several panelists emphasizing the role of decent work, local institutions, and economic inclusion as foundations for sustainable development.

"Access to employment, livelihoods and labour rights is not only a development goal—it is a critical enabler of social cohesion, economic recovery, and sustainable peace in crisis-affected contexts," said Celeste Drake. “Decent work must be integrated from the outset—not as an afterthought, but as a foundational element of any humanitarian-development-peace strategy."

Decent work must be integrated from the outset—not as an afterthought, but as a foundational element of any humanitarian-development-peace strategy

Celeste Drake, ILO Deputy Director-General

The Deputy Director-General highlighted the ILO’s Recommendation 205 on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience, which provides a normative framework for incorporating decent work principles in crisis response and recovery. The ILO’s focus on supporting employment-intensive public works, local economic development, social protection schemes and enterprise recovery was cited as an example of aligning emergency response with long-term development outcomes.

Drake further acknowledged the critical role of donors in enabling these approaches, noting: “We particularly appreciate the support of partners such as Sweden, whose investments help ensure that development actors like the ILO have a seat at the table in crisis settings. This support is instrumental in integrating decent work into humanitarian responses and ensuring that the voices of workers, employers, and national institutions are represented from the outset” she added. 

“Decent work and institution-building are not add-ons. They are prerequisites for resilience” Drake stressed. “We need to build partnerships around national ownership—governments leading, UNRCs coordinating, and donors aligning their support with systemic, inclusive approaches.”

Field Perspective: Partnerships in Practice in Haiti

Ulrike Richardson, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, offered insights from the field. She affirmed that pursuing development efforts amid insecurity is not only possible but necessary to avoid further deterioration of fragile contexts. Reflecting on the overall challenge, Ambassador Robert Rae of Canada stated, “Haiti is a clear example where the Nexus should work. Progress on each pillar—humanitarian, development and peace—must reinforce the others.”

Richardson commended agencies like the ILO for maintaining their presence and engagement in Haiti, noting: “We have insisted on continuing development work even in difficult conditions. Agencies such as the ILO, FAO and UNESCO have remained on the ground, and their work with local institutions is vital to addressing root causes and creating alternatives to violence.”

The session reinforced the overarching theme of the ECOSOC meeting: the need to move beyond siloed approaches and adopt coherent strategies that strengthen national ownership, reduce dependency, and provide pathways to sustainable development in crisis-affected settings.

The ILO’s contribution was recognised for demonstrating how decent jobs, social dialogue, and institutional support can serve as enablers of resilience. 

As the international community seeks to address both urgent needs and long-term challenges, the meeting highlighted the value of cross-sectoral collaboration and inclusive development models focusing on marginalised groups most impacted by crisis, in particular women, youth and forcibly displaced populations, as central to effective transitions from relief to development.