Annual Report
“Decent Work in Global Supply Chains” Annual Report 2024
2024
This Annual Report brings together insights and research from across our network, presenting 10 concise chapters authored by network hosts and members. These chapters distill current research on key themes related to achieving decent work in global value chains (GVCs) and advancing labor standards across supply chains. Central topics include the pivotal role of labour regimes—such as workers’ bargaining power and GVC power dynamics—in shaping equitable outcomes, alongside the sectoral differences that influence working conditions. The report also delves into supply chain due diligence, highlighting the importance of clear, cost-effective reporting standards. Each chapter offers a thoughtful analysis of regulatory and power dynamics, critically examining both the intended and unintended effects of policies and practices.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Assessing decent work in Global Value Chains in Developing Economies Jann Lay & Tevin Tafese (German Institute for Global and Area Studies)
Chapter 2: Leveraging global value chains for better jobs and shared prosperity in developing countries by Deborah Winkler (World Bank)
Chapter 3: GVC integration and structural change in Africa: Implications for labour markets and decent work by Emmanuel Mensah (Utrecht University)
Chapter 4: Digitalisation and decent work in global value chains by Karishma Banga (King's College London)
Chapter 5: Labour-Market dynamics and worker power in apparel global value chains by Lindsay Whitfield (Copenhagen Business School) and Kristoffer Marslev (Technical University of Denmark)
Chapter 6: Artisanal and small-scale mining in South Africa: Formalisation as a path to enforcing standards and decent work by Inga Carry and Veronika Jall (German Institute for International and Security Affairs)
Chapter 7: Measuring supply chain due diligence: Introducing labour outcome metrics by Sarosh Kuruvilla and Jason Judd (Cornell University)
Chapter 8: Raising the bar: Evaluating the potential and limitations of living income strategies for the cocoa sector by Anette Ruml (German Institute for Global and Area Studies) and Jann Lay (German Institute for Global and Area Studies)
Chapter 9: Beyond compliance audits: A review of Better Work's journey in promoting decent work in the global apparel industry by Nikita Grabher-Meyer (Better Work Programme ILO)
Chapter 10: Exposure to human right risks in GVCs by Jann Lay, Tevin Tafese (German Institute for Global and Area Studies), Frauke Steglich, Rainer Thiele (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), Alexandra Kordalska (Gdansk University of Technology) and Stefan Pahl (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)
