President Ramaphosa concludes visit to Geneva, Switzerland

President Cyril Ramaphosa has today, Thursday 15 June 2023, concluded his working visit to Geneva, Switzerland encouraged by the emerging  social contract that aims to give effect to a shared responsibility to create a more just and equitable Society. 

President Ramaphosa was in Geneva to participate and address the two-day World of Work Summit themed "Social Justice for All", convened by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on the margins of the 111^th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC).

Addressing the Summit President Ramaphosa called on world leaders to prioritise the actions needed to be taken to advance social justice.

In this regard the President said “we are encouraged by – and support – the proposed Global Coalition for Social Justice, which aligns with the vision of the UN Secretary-General and seeks to promote decent work while advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through this Summit, we should generate renewed momentum towards a more sustainable and equitable world”.

President Ramaphosa said South Africa was honoured to participate in the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work that produced a report that highlighted the transformative forces shaping the world of work and the need for decisive action to harness the opportunities they present. 

“We fully support the report's human-centred agenda for the future of work and its recommendations, such as increasing investment in people's capabilities and in decent and sustainable work. We firmly believe that social justice is a fundamental pillar of sustainable development”, said President Ramaphosa.

“That means we must remove the structural barriers that hamper equal access to opportunities. We must prioritise the removal of discrimination based on gender, age, race, migration status and other grounds. Institutions must deliberately work to dismantle these barriers, while actors in society should work towards eliminating discrimination and ensuring equal treatment for all”, concluded President Ramaphosa. 

The ILO is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) which aims to promote social justice and decent working conditions for all.

President Ramaphosa was accompanied by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi and senior government officials.


Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to President Ramaphosa – +27 82 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria