The Second Employment Working Group Meeting under India’s BRICS Presidency 2026 will be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, from 6–7 May 2026. The meeting will bring together representatives dealing with labour, employment, and worker welfare from BRICS Member States, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Second EWG Meeting will serve as an important in-person platform for taking forward the discussions held during the First EWG Meeting and for developing a more focused understanding among Member States on the proposed priorities and deliverables under India’s Presidency. The meeting is expected to enable detailed deliberations on practical policy approaches, country experiences, and areas of cooperation across the four priority themes identified for the BRICS Employment Working Group.

The discussions during the Second EWG Meeting will focus on advancing social security systems and accelerating the formalisation of labour markets. Member States will deliberate on the role of digital public infrastructure, portable social security mechanisms, and interoperable digital solutions in improving access to social protection and welfare benefits for workers across different forms of employment.

A key area of discussion will be enhancing women’s participation and inclusion in the workforce. The meeting will provide an opportunity for Member States to exchange experiences on policy measures that support women’s employment, improve workplace participation, address barriers to inclusion, and promote decent work opportunities for women across sectors.

The Second EWG Meeting will also deliberate on cooperation in employability, skills mapping, and skills development. In view of the changing nature of work, the discussions will focus on strengthening digital skilling, identifying emerging skill requirements, and improving alignment between labour market needs and workforce capabilities across BRICS countries.

The meeting will also examine how digital technologies can be leveraged to extend services, protection, and opportunities to all workers, including gig and platform workers. This includes the use of technology-enabled systems for worker registration, benefit delivery, skills development, employment facilitation, and better labour market information.

The meeting will include participation from key international knowledge partners, including the International Labour Organization, the International Social Security Association, and the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office. These organisations are expected to provide technical inputs, share global perspectives, and enrich the deliberations through their experience in employment, labour welfare, social security, and future-of-work issues.

The Second EWG Meeting follows the successful conduct of the First Employment Working Group Meeting, held in virtual mode from 16–17 March 2026. The First Meeting initiated constructive discussions on four priority areas: advancing social security and formalisation of labour markets; enhancing women’s participation and inclusion in the workforce; cooperation on employability, skills mapping, and development; and leveraging digital technologies for all workers, including gig and platform workers.

Building on the outcomes of the First Meeting, the Second EWG Meeting will provide a structured opportunity to refine the priority areas, discuss the proposed deliverables in greater detail, and shape the broad contours of the outcomes to be taken forward under the BRICS EWG process. The proposed deliverables are expected to be further finalised during the Third EWG Meeting and subsequently placed for adoption at the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting scheduled in July this year.

The active participation of BRICS Member States and knowledge partners in the Second EWG Meeting is expected to contribute to the development of coherent, forward-looking, and mutually beneficial outcomes in the field of labour, employment, and worker welfare.

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Rini Choudhury/Anjelina Alexander