Implementing the Human Rights to Decent Work through the UN Sustainable Development Goals ('SDGs')

This paper argues that neither the so called «International Labor Organization’s Strategy on Decent Work» («ILO’s Strategy») nor the UN Sustainable Goals («SDGs») per se would automatically guarantee a recognition and enforcement of the human right to decent work at the international level. In order to reach this end, this paper supports the thesis of a combined approach between the above-mentioned international instruments, namely an ILO’s Strategy’s oriented approach in the interpretation and enforcement of the SDGs in general and of the SDGs No. 8 on decent work and economic growth in particular. INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS having this in mind, the paper proceeds as follows. After defining the emer-gence of working right as human right as well as the concept of «decent work» in gen-eral terms in Paragraph 2, Paragraphs 3 and 4 discuss, respectively, the main features and contents of the ILO’s Strategy on the right to decent work and employment and of the SDGs (including also the relation of the SDGs with the UN Millennium Develop-ment Goals («MDGs»)). Thereafter, the impact (and limited utility) of the SDGs in rela-tion to the protection of the human right of decent work is considered. The paper con-cludes in Paragraph 5 along with the proposal of an ILO’s Strategy and of a CESCR’s General Comment No. 18 on the right to work’s oriented interpretation and application of the SDGs No. 8.