Mayo Minister leads Irish delegation at G20 meeting in South Africa
The Minister of State for Small Business, Retail and Employment, Alan Dillon, is travelling to George, South Africa, to represent Ireland at the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting (LEMM) tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday, July 30 and 31.
This two-day event brings together labour and employment ministers from G20 members, guest countries and international organisation to engage in high-level discussions on global labour market issues.
Key themes on this year’s agenda include youth employment, gender equality in the workplace, social security and platform work as well as strategies to address inequality and the declining labour income share.
Major international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank Group will present expert insights and findings to inform exchanges.
In addition to his participation in the G20 meeting, Minister Dillon is in Cape Town today for programme jointly organised by Enterprise Ireland and Business Ireland South Africa (BISA).
BISA aims to foster commercial links and networking opportunities between Ireland and South Africa. Minister Dillon’s engagements in Cape Town will include visiting Alltech-KEENAN in Stellenbosch.
Minister Dillon said: “I am delighted to represent Ireland at this year’s G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ meeting. As a guest country, Ireland can offer fresh perspectives drawn from our strong history of social dialogue, progressive labour policies and a commitment to inclusive economic growth.
"The meeting provides a valuable opportunity to contribute to global policy discussions, particularly on advancing gender equality and improving youth participation in the labour market.
"These interactions will deepen our understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Irish enterprises operating in and trading with South Africa and reinforce the importance of international collaboration in driving innovation, sustainability, and job creation.”