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Annex D: G20 Statement on the Global Prevention Initiative 'Vision Zero Fund'

G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting 2017
May 19, 2017, Bad Neunahr
[PDF]

The G20 have declared workplace safety and health a priority (Saint Petersburg Summit 2013, Brisbane Summit 2014). We have underscored that "G20 members are committed to improving occupational safety and health (OSH) in our own economies and across the globe" (Melbourne LEMM Declaration 2014). In this regard, our leaders committed to foster safer and healthier work places within global supply chains (Antalya Summit 2015) and have endorsed taking effective actions (Hangzhou Summit 2016).

Every year, more than 2.3 million people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases, most of them in the developing world. Deficits in occupational safety and health also present a huge economic burden worldwide, causing losses of around 4 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product, according to the ILO.

Remaining committed to addressing worldwide challenges in the area of workplace safety, we continue to encourage initiatives such as the G20 OSH Experts Network and the ILO's OSH Global Action for Prevention Programme.

We welcome further international action to improve occupational safety and health across global supply chains under the recently established Global Prevention Initiative, the 'Vision Zero Fund'. Working towards the vision of reducing severe and fatal work related accidents to zero, the Vision Zero Fund is an example of an ILO-implemented initiative that supports concrete activities for prevention and workplace safety in low-income countries. The Vision Zero Fund is a multi-donor trust fund mobilising funding and in-kind contributions from governments and private sources, including companies and foundations. Collective action by governments, the social partners and other relevant stakeholders is a key principle promoted by the Fund: local ownership and commitment are required for the implementation of action plans to improve labour inspectorates, build up employment injury insurance schemes and spread sustainable practices at enterprise level. In the first pilot country Myanmar, the Vision Zero Fund has enabled a tripartite process aiming to improve prevention in the crucial export sectors of garments and agriculture.

To reduce the number of severe and fatal workplace related accidents in low-income countries, we encourage governments, social partners, the private sector and NGOs around the world to engage in the Vision Zero Fund and other international cooperation programmes in

occupational safety and health, including through sharing experience and providing financial and in-kind contributions. As central elements of our statement, we:

  1. Support the Vision Zero Fund Initiative to foster action in global supply chains to improve occupational safety and health practices in low-income sourcing countries;
  2. Encourage governments, social partners, local and international companies as well as NGOs to take part in collective action for the prevention of work place accidents and take on ownership in the formulation and implementation of respective activities including within the framework of the Vision Zero Fund;
  3. Welcome the development of sustainable company-based practices and improved public frameworks through cooperation between management and workers at shop floor level, improvements to inspection institutions and employment injury insurance schemes;
  4. Promote application of the fundamental principles and rights at work, encourage countries to consider ratification of relevant ILO standards on occupational safety and health, and underline the importance of developing social dialogue and social partnership; [AGREED]
  5. Encourage multinational companies and brands headquartered in G20 countries to support the Vision Zero Fund;
  6. Encourage public and private financial or in-kind contributions to the Vision Zero Fund and similar initiatives and foster closer coordination between our ministries and other relevant government agencies in this regard;
  7. Call for close coordination between the Vision Zero Fund Initiative and other international programmes related to occupational safety and health and sharing experiences and good practices gained from the implementation of the G20 Statement on Safer and Healthier Workplaces and through the ongoing work of the G20 Network on Safe and Healthy Workplaces with Vision Zero Fund stakeholders.

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Source: Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales