BRICS nations adopt joint declaration social protection, skills and future of work at Hyderabad meeting
BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers met in Hyderabad to adopt a joint declaration focused on social protection, labor market reforms, and skills development. The meeting emphasized building resilient economies and showcased India's recent labor law consolidations.
Why it matters
This meeting signals a coordinated effort among developing economies to standardize labor practices and improve workforce mobility in a changing global market.
Hyderabad hosted the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting on Wednesday, July 15, under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, with member countries adopting a joint declaration to strengthen cooperation on social protection, labour market reforms, women’s workforce participation, skills development and digital employment services.
Held under India’s chairship theme, ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, the two-day meeting brought together Labour Ministers, heads of delegations, representatives of BRICS member nations, employers’ and workers’ organisations, and international partners to discuss the future of work and deepen collaboration among developing economies.
Inaugurating the meeting, Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India had undertaken major labour reforms by consolidating 29 outdated labour laws into four Labour Codes in November 2025, creating what he described as a worker-centric legal framework for the country’s 1.4 billion people.
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