The digital revolution is altering the way that people view and perform work. Potential economic gains such as growth and productivity from technological advances are considerable, but with new opportunities come new challenges. Within and between countries, economic and social disparities have risen as digitization and the growth of the gig economy facilitating trade in tasks with global workers and the geographic segmentation of services has reshaped markets and the world of work and business. Inequalities have impacted vulnerable communities and groups traditionally being ‘at risk’ of labour exploitation such as migrants, ethnic minorities, young workers or those on lower incomes. These groups were also disproportionately impacted by the lockdowns and other responses deployed to tackle the COVID-19 crisis. Adding to these, the impact of the climate crisis threatens to exacerbate marginalization further and result in an array of new disparities between well-advanced and left-behind cities and regions.

This round-table will explore these issues and their implications on policy-making, democratic governance, representation and rights. It will ask: How to achieve just transitions that provide dignified and sustainable livelihoods? What are the possibilities for social dialogue and other forms of democratic engagement? How to include vulnerable people in making the decisions that affect them?
 

Keynote speaker:

• Azita Berar Awad, Former Director, ILO Employment Policy Department; Chair of the Board, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD); Director of Policy, Global Labour Organization.

Panelists:

• Simone Baglioni, Professor, Department of Economics and Management, University of Parma

• Samuel Brülisauer, Doctoral Student, Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, and former Research Analyst at UNRISD

• Filipe Calvao, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology and Sociology of Development, Graduate Institute Geneva, Faculty Associate, Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy - Graduate Institute Geneva

• Alexandre Hedjazi, Director, Global Environmental Policy Program; Scientific Deputy to Vice-Rector for Sustainable Development, University of Geneva

• Kostas Papadakis, Senior Social Dialogue and Governance Specialist, International Labour Organization (ILO)

Moderator:

• Maria Mexi, Research Fellow, Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy, Graduate Institute Geneva
   

This event is part of the programme organised by the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy during the Geneva Democracy Week.