A/HRC/36/40 achieving more equal distribution of income as well as contributing to countries’ growth of productivity and access to prosperity. The Bank’s 2018 World Development Report, on the theme of “Education for Development”, provides an opportunity for the institution to describe in detail the strategies it needs to develop to support education targets, starting with SDG target 4.1: “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes”. The Bank should make certain that all the schooling initiatives it supports are consistent with and supportive of the commitment to free, equitable and quality education. Cooperation for implementing World Bank’s new labour safeguard 22. If the World Bank’s announced plans are respected, in 2018 it will join several other multilateral development banks (MDBs) that, over the past several years, have implemented comprehensive labour standards lending requirements or safeguards. “Environmental and Social Standard 2: Labour and Working Conditions” (ESS 2) is part of the Bank’s new Environmental and Social Framework, adopted in August 2016. ESS 2 provides for basic occupational health and safety requirements, obligations to provide information to workers and a requirement to respect certain fundamental workers’ rights. 23. The World Bank’s introduction of a labour safeguard is an important development, but the effectiveness may be impaired by the fact that in some aspects its version is weaker than those of the other MDBs. Principal among the weaknesses is the absence of any reference to the core labour standards (CLS) conventions of the ILO, which prohibit discrimination, child labour and forced labour, and require respect for freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. Whereas ESS 2 stipulates that the first three practices will not be tolerated in Bank-funded projects whether or not they are prohibited in the client country’s law, it requires respect of freedom of association only “in a manner consistent with national law”. This proviso is at odds with the requirements of the other MDBs and also contrary to the universal nature of the CLS as established by the ILO since 1998. 24. In order to avoid that weaknesses or ambiguities in ESS 2 lead to tolerance of unacceptable labour practices or denial of workers’ rights in Bank-financed activities, it will be imperative that the Bank cooperates fully with parties knowledgeable about the labour conditions in its projects and programmes, notably the ILO and trade unions. The Bank should move forward with cooperation as it develops staff directives, training material, monitoring mechanisms and consultation procedures for implementing ESS 2. The Bank should also examine possibilities of working jointly with other MDBs that have had years of prior experience in implementing labour safeguards. Joint work could take place, for example, in training of staff and project managers on labour standards requirements, and in establishing effective monitoring and information-gathering procedures to identify risks of safeguards violation. Global Unions’ recommendations Measures to support economic recovery 25. The IMF and World Bank should • Support and help implement a global recovery strategy aimed at boosting aggregate demand and consisting of a policy mix of public investment stimulus and coordinated wage increases to reverse the falling labour share in national income. • Contribute, as part of this strategy, to public investments in education, the care economy, water and sanitation and other quality public services, including actions to support the integration of migrants and refugees. • Support public investments in energy-efficient infrastructure and climate change mitigation projects to protect against climate change damages, improve long-term productive potential, and support the transition to a low-carbon economy including through the adoption of carbon taxes. 38