The Steering Group is the Global Accelerator’s highest governance body. It provides strategic direction, promotes collaboration across partners, and helps ensure that the Global Accelerator remains aligned with its mission of accelerating decent jobs, universal social protection and just transitions.
Operating at the global level, the Steering Group forms part of the Global Accelerator’s overall governance structure alongside the Technical Support Facility and the National Steering Committees in the Pathfinder Countries.
Bringing together senior representatives from Pathfinder Country governments, the United Nations system, development partners, public development banks, workers’ and employers’ organizations and civil society, the Steering Group guides the overall implementation of the initiative while strengthening collective action and multistakeholder coordination at the global level.
The Steering Group provides the overall direction for the Global Accelerator, ensuring that its priorities, activities and financing remain aligned with its Implementation Strategy. It guides the evolution of the initiative by setting priorities, promoting coherence with relevant UN and international initiatives, providing guidance on funding rounds and global activities, strengthening collaboration with key financing mechanisms and partnerships, and supporting the engagement of new Pathfinder Countries, donors and members.
The Steering Group oversees the implementation of the Global Accelerator and monitors progress made across Pathfinder Countries and at the global level. It reviews progress reports, implementation updates and evaluation findings to help identify implementation challenges, strengthen coherence across activities, and provide strategic guidance to enhance results and impact.
The Steering Group advocates for increased investment in decent jobs and universal social protection as key drivers of just transitions, using evidence generated through the Global Accelerator’s implementation to inform policy dialogue and strengthen political commitment. It helps position the initiative within major global policy agendas, promotes international solidarity, supports advocacy efforts, guides resource mobilization and helps leverage international financing to complement domestic investment.
The Steering Group promotes the development, dissemination and use of knowledge and evidence generated through the Global Accelerator. It reviews research, analytical work, tools and publications to identify and promote good practices, supports dissemination, and helps shape the Global Accelerator’s knowledge agenda.
The Steering Group meets quarterly at the senior leadership and technical level. Meetings are chaired by the ILO and supported by the Technical Support Facility, which serves as the Secretariat by coordinating agendas, preparing meetings and facilitating follow-ups as needed.
The Steering Group operates under its approved Terms of Reference and seeks to reach decisions by consensus wherever possible.
The Steering Group brings together around 450 representatives from governments, the United Nations system, development partners, public development banks, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and civil society, reflecting the Global Accelerator’s commitment to inclusive, multistakeholder governance.
Ministers and senior government officials from pathfinder countries leading implementation at the national level, including ministries responsible for labour and employment, social protection, finance, planning and other relevant sectors.
Representatives from the UN agencies that make up the Technical Support Facility, including the ILO, FAO, UN Women, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP and other participating agencies.
Representatives of governments and institutions providing financial and strategic support, including donor governments and development cooperation partners.
Representatives of international financial institutions and financing initiatives that support investment in decent jobs, social protection and just transitions.
Representatives of global and national workers’ and employers’ organizations, including the ITUC and IOE, ensuring that social dialogue and the perspectives of workers and enterprises inform decisions.
Representatives of civil society organizations working on employment, social protection and related areas, bringing the perspectives of communities, informal workers and other groups into the governance process.
Since its inaugural meeting in February 2024, the Steering Group has provided strategic guidance on key milestones in the implementation of the Global Accelerator, including:
