Today, work is undergoing a profound transformation across the globe. Informality, digitalisation, job insecurity… Promoting decent work—that is, productive work that provides a fair income, rights and social protection, and supports sustainable economic growth—is now a global challenge. It continues to face dynamics common to all countries: the fragmentation of value chains, the rise of precarious employment, the growth of digital platforms, the increased vulnerability of young people, women and migrant workers, and unequal institutional capacities to enforce labour rights.
Informality at the Heart of Socioeconomic Challenges: The Case of Mexico
Mexico, like many Latin American countries, is at the heart of these tensions. According to data from INEGI, more than one in two people of working age in the country are in informal employment. Informal employment particularly affects women, young people, the elderly and migrant populations, and leads to greater job insecurity for workers, a decline in the country’s productivity, increased competition, inequalities in income distribution, and so on.
These issues bear a strong resemblance to those observed in other parts of the world, particularly in Africa and Europe, where economic, demographic and digital transitions present similar challenges.
Major international events: challenges and opportunities for global cooperation
The organisation of major international events, such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Mexico, United States, Canada), serves to highlight these dynamics on the biggest stage.
It is putting pressure on sectors that are already vulnerable – construction, services, security and tourism – and highlighting the limitations of existing regulatory frameworks. However, these events are not an end in themselves: above all, they offer an opportunity for international dialogue, for comparing practices and for sharing tried-and-tested solutions across continents.
During this Rendez-vous de l’Expertise held in Mexico City, we explored how these challenges can be tackled collectively through local and international cooperation: how to strengthen decent work in the face of global changes in the world of work – informality, the rise of the gig economy, social vulnerabilities – by drawing on perspectives from Latin America, Africa and Europe, and what role can international cooperation play in promoting public policies and protective, inclusive practices?
In the run-up to the Football World Cup and to mark Latin America and the Caribbean Weeks, catch the replay of this programme from 28 May 2026!
