BRICS Labor Ministers Launch Digital Cooperation Platform and Highlight Social Protection

Labor and employment ministers from the BRICS countries met in Hyderabad, India, under India's 2026 BRICS presidency. The meeting resulted in the launch of the BRICS CONECTA platform, designed to exchange experiences and technologies on labour markets, future skills, digital work and green economy transitions.

The International Labour Organization praised India's progress in expanding social protection and highlighted the potential of a universal care‑policy package to create millions of jobs across the BRICS bloc. The United Arab Emirates presented its AI‑based model for a modern labour market, while Indonesia advocated for forecasting future skill needs as a priority for the new platform.

Key discussion points included expanding social security coverage, formalising informal work, increasing women’s participation, and leveraging digital technologies to protect all workers, including platform and gig‑economy employees.