A/HRC/23/54 49. Stephen Pursey, Director of the Policy Integration Department and Senior Adviser to the Director-General at the International Labour Organization (ILO), linked the strengthening of the global partnership for development with a rights-based approach to development. He stated that, for most people, a decent job was the key to a decent life as their sense of identity and self-respect, their economic and food security, and the realization of their capabilities might all depend on their employment. This meant that improved access to decent employment could be one lens through which to approach the global partnership for development. The 2008 ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization was a fundamental reference in this regard. The tripartite structure of the ILO could address working conditions and social justice through negotiation. Stephen Pursey also stressed the importance of a social protection floor and of the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work which committed Member States to respect and promote freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, to eliminate forced labour and child labour, and to eradicate discrimination in employment. He concluded by calling for more attention to be paid to the right to work and human rights at work in the context of the global partnership for development. 50. Hans-Peter Werner, Counsellor in the Development Division of the World Trade Organization (WTO), stated that the WTO contributed to development by promoting predictable and non-discriminatory trade agreements, reducing trade barriers and ensuring equal access to markets. He emphasized that many developing countries were members of the WTO, which had taken steps to address the special needs of least developed countries, facilitate access to affordable medicines and promote technology transfer. The WTO, as part of the United Nations Task Team for the post-2015 development agenda, was an active member of the global partnership that collaborated with multiple agencies to articulate a comprehensive approach to development. Although this work was valuable, Hans-Peter Werner stated that member States retained the ultimate responsibility for defining and promoting an effective global partnership based on common positions and goals. 51. Sarah Cook, Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, discussed the importance of research in addressing challenges to social development in a globalizing world. She highlighted the importance of taking a holistic approach to social development and improved human well-being, particularly with regards to social institutions. Integrating economic and social aspects, adopting people-centred approaches complementary to basic economic rights, and looking at the functioning of institutional arrangements and their social constructions were fundamental to strengthen the global partnership for development. While trade unions and social movements played an essential role in the historical recognition of human rights, the continuing role of these institutions as forces for development had been neglected. Instead, Sarah Cook asserted that liberalization had given significant power to institutions that might not be accountable for social justice and human rights. She called for the restoration of social institutions, the development of social indicators and the prioritization of employment policy. 52. During the interactive dialogue, the independent expert on human rights and international solidarity, Isabel Ortiz, Xigen Wang (Professor and Vice-Dean of the Wuhan University Law School in China) and representatives from North-South XXI, Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII, Social Justice in Global Development, the Ligue marocaine pour la citoyenneté et les droits de l’homme and Espace Afrique International discussed, inter alia, the proliferation of bilateral trade and investment agreements that circumvented international obligations, the need for alternatives to the WTO trade model, the importance of rights-based development, and potential improvements of Millennium Development Goal 8 and the global partnership for development (e.g. the elaboration of further indicators to measure the implementation of Goal 8). Goal 8 was criticized for failing to address partnership on the basis of equality and narrowly focusing on development aid considerations instead of the ultimate goal of fulfilling human rights. It 14