## V ulnerable Workers and Areas

7. We agree that labour market and employment policies should support vulnerable workers and economic development in depressed areas. They also should ensure that individuals can fully participate in the labour market and thereby realise a resilient and sustainable society.

8. Globalisation and technological change offer the world economy potential opportunities for more wealth, growth, employment and better lives for people. At the same time, they can entail disparities and adjustment difficulties in labour markets. This has resulted in dislocations and increased insecurity for a number of workers and slower or negative economic growth in some areas.

9. It is important to promote local development and job creation by facilitating the effective use of local resources and policies to respond to local needs and circumstances. In doing so, it is also important to obtain active participation by not only national governments but also by local governments, authorities, social partners and other stakeholders, research bodies, venture capital firms, human resources development agencies and non-profit organisations.

10. Governments working with the social partners and other stakeholders should create an environment and conditions that contribute to regional economic growth, high employment, and broadly-shared prosperity. Special efforts are needed to assist vulnerable groups to overcome obstacles in finding jobs.

11. We highlight that active labour market policies, well-designed unemployment benefits systems and public employment services, as well as effective lifelong learning policies contribute to promoting participation in the labour market and to the removal of impediments in job seeking to promote activation, as endorsed in Dresden (2007) as well as in the restated OECD Jobs Strategy.

### 12. In view of these considerations:

- it is important for governments to strengthen labour market supply and demand matching through well-coordinated job placement, unemployment benefits and active labour market services, and maintain the system nationwide.

- we agree to work with local authorities/governments, social partners and other stakeholders to support local job creation initiatives. We also agree that public employment services and training agencies should offer appropriate support to job seekers and contribute to the better matching of supply and demand locally.

- we reaffirm the importance of ensuring human resources development opportunities for all, including effective skills development and training programmes that meet labour market needs. These include programmes that (i) integrate vulnerable groups into skills development systems, (ii) improve assessment systems of occupational skills, and (iii) further upgrade career counselling functions and career education to support individual career development.

## The Contribution of the G8 Members to the Challenges to Global Sustainability

13. Recognising our membership in the global society, we declare our intent to contribute to addressing employment and social challenges arising from environmental concerns and issues in order to realise a resilient and sustainable society. It is not only to enrich our own countries but also to promote a more harmonious global society. In view of this, the G8 countries should share experiences and promote dialogue on these challenges with developing countries and emerging economies inter alia through appropriate international fora.

14. We highlight that sustainable society is based on the three interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of economic development, social development, and environmental protection. We recognise the need to better analyse and address the global challenges. We are ready to