Development experts, warning that poly crises are deterring development and have stalled progress on Sustainable Development Goals, are calling for a new social contract that recognizes and protects informal workers in Africa.

As the world draws close to the deadline for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, there are many practical and feasible options for policy makers to push the development agenda in the remaining 7 years. These include having a social contract that includes informal workers in contracts with the state as well as enacting active labour market policies for lower tier, informal self-employed workers that can provide social transfers and other forms of support for them to transition out of dead end jobs.

This was the finding of a new report launched by the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) during a panel discussion Towards peace and decent work in Africa – accelerating progress on the SDGs hosted by UNU-WIDER and the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa.

The report, Towards peace, decent work, and greater equality, is a culmination of a 5-year research programme on transforming economies, states, and societies. The report noted that peace, greater equality, and decent work can be achieved in our lifetimes and are instrumental to accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).