Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, will inaugurate a two-day Regional Dialogue on Social Justice under the Global Coalition for Social Justice and commemorate the 74th Foundation Day of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on February 24, 2025, in New Delhi. The event will also feature the Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, Secretary (Labour & Employment), Ms. Sumita Dawra, and International Labour Organization (ILO) Director General, Gilbert F. Houngbo. The Global Coalition for Social Justice, launched by the ILO in November 2023, aims to unite global, regional, and national stakeholders for coherent policies promoting social justice. India, a founding ILO member and key member of the Coalition’s Coordinating Group, leads the intervention on “Responsible Business Practices for Sustainable and Inclusive Societies,” a core thematic area focused on expanding access to productive and freely chosen employment and sustainable enterprises. The Ministry of Labour and Employment and ESIC, in collaboration with the Global Coalition and ILO, and supported by the Confederation of Industry (CII) and Employers Federation of India (EFI), are organising this regional event. Discussions will cover critical issues like skills development, social security expansion, workplace gender inclusion, responsible business practices, corporate governance, and leveraging AI for social justice. The 74th Foundation Day of ESIC will highlight its contributions to social security and workers’ welfare in India. ESIC administers one of the country’s most comprehensive social security schemes, offering medical care, maternity benefits, and financial protection to workers and their families. The celebration will showcase ESIC’s milestones and future plans, along with recognising key contributors to its mission of transforming “social security to social justice.” It will also launch the “ESIC Special Services Fortnight” and unveil publications detailing ESIC’s achievements. Key initiatives set to be launched at the event include the e-Shram mobile application and several publications like: Position Paper on Transforming India’s Social Protection Landscape through Data Pooling Learnings and Reflections from the ISSA-ESIC International Seminar (January 2025) Best Practices in Responsible Business Conduct in India Compendium on Social Protection in India Shram Samarth: A Journey to Excellence A major highlight will be the announcement of Indian workers’ and employers’ organisations joining the Global Coalition as partners. A joint statement on responsible business conduct by Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and CII-EFI will reflect their commitment to inclusive and sustainable development. With over 500 participants, including Coalition partners, government representatives, academia, industry experts, and ESIC members, the event aims to strengthen India’s role in advancing social justice globally and shaping strategies for universal social protection and responsible business ecosystems aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Decent Work Agenda. (PIB)