29th July 2025
The Minister of State for Small Business, Retail and Employment, Alan Dillon, is travelling to George, South Africa, to represent Ireland at the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting (LEMM) on 30-31 July 2025. This two-day event brings together labour and employment ministers from G20 members, guest countries and international organisation to engage in high-level discussions on global labour market issues.
Key themes on this year’s agenda include youth employment, gender equality in the workplace, social security and platform work as well as strategies to address inequality and the declining labour income share. Major international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank Group will present expert insights and findings to inform exchanges.
In addition to his participation in the G20 meeting, Minister Dillon will travel to Cape Town on 29 July 2025 for a one-day programme jointly organised by Enterprise Ireland and Business Ireland South Africa (BISA). BISA aims to foster commercial links and networking opportunities between Ireland and South Africa. Minister Dillon’s engagements in Cape Town will include visiting Alltech-KEENAN in Stellenbosch.
Minister Dillon said:
“I am delighted to represent Ireland at this year’s G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting. As a guest country, Ireland can offer fresh perspectives drawn from our strong history of social dialogue, progressive labour policies and a commitment to inclusive economic growth. The meeting provides a valuable opportunity to contribute to global policy discussions, particularly on advancing gender equality and improving youth participation in the labour market.
I also look forward to engaging with Irish and South African businesses during my visit to Cape Town. These interactions will deepen our understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Irish enterprises operating in and trading with South Africa and reinforce the importance of international collaboration in driving innovation, sustainability, and job creation.”
ENDS
Notes for editors
- The G20 Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting (LEMM) will take place from 30 – 31 July 2025 at the Fancourt Hotel in George, South Africa.
- Presentations will be made by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank Group.
- There will be two plenary sessions which will focus on the following topics:
- Inclusive Growth, Job Creation and Youth Employment
- Gender Equality in the Workforce
- During the sessions, Ministers for Labour and Employment will be provided with an opportunity to speak on two topics: The Nelson Mandela Bay G20 Target and the Brisbane-eThekwini Goal.
- The Nelson Mandela Bay G20 Target is a commitment proposed by the South African Presidency during its 2025 G20 leadership to reduce the proportion of young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET) by an additional 5% by 2030. It builds on the previous Antalya Goal, set in 2015, which aimed to reduce the NEET rate by 15% by 2025.
- The Brisbane-eThekwini Goal is a commitment proposed by the South African Presidency during its 2025 G20 leadership to reduce the gender gap in labour force participation by 2030. If adopted, it would build on the Brisbane Target set during Australia’s G20 Presidency in 2014, which aimed to reduce the gender gap in labour force participation by 25% by 2025.
- A one-day programme in Cape Town on 29 July 2025 organised by Enterprise Ireland and Business Ireland South Africa (BISA) will precede the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ meeting. BISA’s mission is to facilitate business networking opportunities between Ireland and South Africa.
- The G20 countries collectively represent approximately 85 percent of global GDP and account for around 75% of global trade as well as two-thirds of the world’s population.
Back to Department News