Our Administrations reaffirm the central and critical role that working people play in achieving a sustainable, democratic, equitable, and peaceful world. Everyone benefits when workers and their trade unions are empowered to fight for better conditions in the workplace, fairness in the economy, and democracy in our societies. Putting workers’ interests at the heart of our economic policies grows the middle class and builds a brighter future in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Last year, the United States and Brazil launched the Partnership for Workers’ Rights to catalyze action at the highest levels to empower and uplift workers’ rights around the world. Today we welcome South Africa as a new partner in this endeavor.

In its first year, the Partnership for Workers’ Rights has helped keep workers safe from life-threatening heat stress, fought to combat forced labor, fostered inclusivity in the workplace, built worker power, endorsed principles for a just green transition, and promoted high-road investment that can deliver on the promise of decent work. As a result of the Partnership, workers and unions gained new training, tools, and resources to advance worker safety, shape policy development, and promote racial equality and justice.  

These successes serve as the basis for ongoing, future efforts designed to tangibly improve the lives of workers around the world. We affirm our commitment to promote equal employment opportunities and better working conditions for women as well as men. Next year we plan to strengthen our efforts to eliminate forced labor and remediate the harms it causes. We will fight for a world of work free from discrimination, harassment, and gender-based violence. And we will continue to strengthen workers’ collective voice in the clean energy transition by promoting social dialogue in clean energy investment, including through community benefit agreements, project labor agreements, sectoral bargaining, and partnerships with unions. We intend to further advance our efforts to educate and empower the next generation of union leaders to carry forward this work in the years to come. 

Labor leaders remain our steadfast partners in this effort. Their perspectives and recommendations will continue to guide our efforts under the Partnership to create durable, shared prosperity for workers, their families, and their communities. We thank Germany, Chile, and Spain for contributing to the Partnership’s work this year, and we call on other countries that share our vision to join us. Together, we will strive towards a future of decent work and labor rights for all.

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