Transforming care systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the context of Beijing+30.

FORUM: “Transforming care systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the context of Beijing+30.“ International Day of Care and Support 2024. Care work, both paid and unpaid, is crucial to the future of decent work. Growing populations, ageing societies, changing families, women’s secondary status in labour markets and shortcomings in social policies demand urgent action on the organization of care work from governments, employers, trade unions and individual citizens. If not adequately addressed, current deficits in care service provision and its quality will create a severe and unsustainable global care crisis and increase gender inequalities at work. Care work consists of two overlapping activities: direct, personal and relational care activities, such as feeding a baby or nursing an ill partner; and indirect care activities, such as cooking and cleaning. Unpaid care work is care work provided without a monetary reward by unpaid carers. Unpaid care is considered as work and is thus a crucial dimension of the world of work. Paid care work is performed for pay or profit by care workers. They comprise a wide range of personal service workers, such as nurses, teachers, doctors and personal care workers. Domestic workers, who provide both direct and indirect care in households, are also part of the care workforce. The care economy is growing as the demand for childcare and care for the elderly is increasing in all regions. It will thus create a great number of jobs in the coming years. However, care work across the world remains characterized by a void of benefits and protections, low wages or non-compensation, and exposure to physical, mental and, in some cases, sexual harm. It is clear that new solutions to care are needed on two fronts: in regards to the nature and provision of care policies and services, and the terms and conditions of care work. With the global demand for domestic workers likely to grow, the International Labour Organization steps up action to ensure they have access to decent work. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #Dayofcare, #29october, #careworkers, #InvestInCare.


EVENT: On October 29th; from 10:00 am to 12:00 am EST; The International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Women, and the UNDP will mark International Day of Care and Support 2024 by spotlighting the Resolution concerning Decent Work and the Care Economy, adopted by the ILO International Labour Conference in June 2024. The Assembly invited stakeholders to observe the International Day of Care and Support on an annual basis in an appropriate manner in order to raise awareness of the importance of care and support and its key contribution to the achievement of gender equality and the sustainability of our societies and economies, as well as of the need to invest in a resilient and inclusive care economy, including the development of strong and resilient care and support systems.The focus of this year's celebration will be on transforming care systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the context of Beijing+30, elaborating on the recent UN system-wide policy guidance on Transforming Care Systems in the Context of the SDGs and Our Common Agenda. Watch the live observance!

STATEMENT: Read the Opening remarks by Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, at the United Nations Observance of the International Day of Care and Support 2024 and the Statement of the UN Women on the occasion of the International Day of Care and Support; October 29th.