The Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions has reported significant progress in helping countries place decent employment and social protection at the centre of national development strategies.
Its second progress report for 2024–2025 was launched during the initiative’s eighth Steering Group meeting in Geneva on 30 June 2026. The report shows that the programme has moved from planning to implementation across 19 pathfinder countries.
The Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund has played a central role in financing this progress. Two funding rounds supported 47 integrated programmes involving United Nations agencies and the World Bank.
The first funding round, launched in 2024, supported 23 joint programmes across 14 pathfinder countries. A second round in 2025 added another 23 country programmes and one global initiative, reaching 12 pathfinder countries and 12 non-pathfinder countries.
Bhutan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Pakistan and Tunisia joined the initiative as new pathfinder countries during the reporting period. Their participation reflects growing demand for coordinated approaches to employment creation, social protection and just economic transitions.
Albania, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malawi, Paraguay and Uzbekistan have approved national roadmaps under the Global Accelerator. Senegal’s roadmap has completed technical validation, while Cabo Verde, Colombia, Namibia, Nepal, the Philippines and Rwanda are preparing roadmaps for launch in 2026.
The report highlights several country-level achievements. Uzbekistan’s new Social Insurance Law is expected to extend social protection coverage to an additional 5.8 million people.
Malawi’s draft Workers’ Compensation Bill could provide legal protection to more than 4.2 million workers. Cambodia has introduced a social assistance-linked technical and vocational education programme targeting 1.5 million young people from poor and vulnerable households.
Paraguay created approximately 250,000 jobs over three years, reaching nearly half of its goal of creating 500,000 jobs by August 2028.
Albania has also included a new Universal Child Benefit scheme in its National Social Protection Strategy for 2024–2030, strengthening support for children and families.
The Global Accelerator gained wider international recognition during the reporting period. It was included in major outcomes from the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, the G20 and the Second World Summit for Social Development.
The latest report demonstrates how coordinated financing, national leadership and international cooperation can expand social protection, create decent jobs and support fairer transitions towards sustainable economies.
