Global Civil Society & the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all

Decent Work and Economic Growth


Goal 8 is about promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.

Multiple crises are placing the global economy under serious threat. Global real GDP per capita growth is forecast to slow down in 2023 and with ever increasing challenging economic conditions, more workers are turning to informal employment.

Globally, labour productivity has increased and the unemployment rate has decreased. However, more progress is needed to increase employment opportunities, especially for young people, reduce informal employment and labour market inequality (particularly in terms of the gender pay gap), promote safe and secure working environments, and improve access to financial services to ensure sustained and inclusive economic growth.

The global unemployment rate declined significantly in 2022, falling to 5.4 per cent from a peak of 6.6 per cent in 2020 as economies began recovering from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. This rate was lower than the pre-pandemic level of 5.5 per cent in 2019.

Name Acronym Founded City HQ Country/Territory HQ Type I Type II

United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

CESCR 1978 Geneva Switzerland E gv

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

UNCED S cg

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

UNCTAD 1964 Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Convention on International Bills of Exchange and International Promissory Notes

1988 Vienna Austria T g

United Nations Development Programme

UNDP 1965 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

ESCAP 1947 Bangkok Thailand E g

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

ESCWA 1973 Beirut Lebanon E g

United Nations Economic and Social Council

ECOSOC 1945 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

ECA 1958 Addis Ababa Ethiopia E g

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

UNECE 1947 Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

ECLAC 1948 Santiago Chile E g

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNESCO 1945 Paris France B g

United Nations Environment Programme

UNEP 1972 Nairobi Kenya E g

United Nations Foundation

UNF 1998 New York NY USA F f

United Nations Global Compact

UNGC 2000 New York NY USA F y

United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names

UNGEGN 1959 New York NY USA E g

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNHCR 1951 Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Institute for Training and Research

UNITAR 1963 Geneva Switzerland E gj

United Nations International Computing Centre

UNICC 1971 Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Mine Action Service

UNMAS 1997 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Network on Migration

2018 Geneva Switzerland F g

United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service

NGLS 1975 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Office at Geneva

UNOG Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

UNDRR 1999 Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Office for Project Services

UNOPS 1973 Copenhagen Denmark E g

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

OCHA 1992 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

UNODC 1997 Vienna Austria E g

United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response

UN-SPIDER 2006 Vienna Austria F g

United Nations Population Fund

UNFPA 1967 New York NY USA F fg

United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe

UNRIC 2004 Brussels Belgium E g

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

UNRWA 1949 Amman Jordan E g

United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

UNRISD 1963 Geneva Switzerland E gjv

United Nations Staff Union

1946 New York NY USA E v

United Nations Sustainable Development Group

UNSDG 1997 New York NY USA E g

United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology

UNU-MERIT 1989 Maastricht Netherlands E j

United Nations Volunteers

UNV 1971 Bonn Germany F g

United Networks of International Corporate Events Organizers

UNICEO Geneva Switzerland J

United Purpose

UP 1976 Cardiff UK G

United Religions Initiative

URI 1993 San Francisco CA USA F

United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

USCRI 1911 Arlington VA USA G

United States/Pacific Island Nations Joint Commercial Commission

JCC 1993 Honolulu HI USA G g

United Way Worldwide

1974 Alexandria VA USA F

UnitedSuccess

2008 J v

UnitingWorld

1977 Sydney NSW Australia G

Unity of Nations Action for Climate Change Council

UNAccc 2021 Vadodara India G

Universal Association of Professional Colleges and Universities

UAPCU 2018 Manila Philippines G t

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God

UCKG 1977 London UK F

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

UDHR 1948 New York NY USA T g

Universal Peace and Violence Amelioration Centre

UPVAC 2015 Jos Nigeria G

UniversalGiving

San Francisco CA USA G

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