Additional Support for Vision Zero Fund Announced at May G20 Meeting

At the recent G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany pledged additional financial support to the Vision Zero Fund (VZF).

Meeting document | 29 May 2017
At the recent G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany pledged additional financial support to the Vision Zero Fund (VZF). Norway also announced that it would provide support to the VZF, joining Germany, the United States, the European Commission and France as donor countries.

The VZF was established by the G7 in 2015, and aims to achieve zero fatal and severe work-related injuries and diseases by improving occupational safety and health practices and conditions in sectors that link to global supply chains and to strengthen institutional frameworks such as labour inspectorates and employment injury insurance schemes in countries linked to such global supply chains. At the meeting in Bad-Neuenahr, the VZF also received the support of the G20.

Labour and Employment Ministers and ILO Director General at the Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting in Bad Neuenahr, 18-19 May 2017

Exerpt from the G20 Statement on the Global Prevention Initiative Vision Zero Fund (full text available here)

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…

To reduce the number of severe and fatal workplace accidents in low-income countries, we encourage governments, social partners, the private sector and NGO’s 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 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 NGO’s 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;