SGS Responsible Business Services - International News on Social Responsibility

1、ILO issues guidance for safe, healthy, return to work during COVID-19
The Guidance says that return to work policies need to be informed by a human-centred approach that puts peoples’ rights at the heart of economic, social and environmental policies. Each specific work setting, job or group of jobs should be assessed before returning to work and that preventive measures should be implemented to ensure the safety and health of all workers according to a hierarchy of controls.

2、ILO: Plug Social Protection Gaps in Developing Countries to Prevent Future Crises
The COVID-19 crisis has exposed devastating gaps in social protection coverage in developing countries and strengthening and improving the comprehensive social protection systems in develop countries will be the vital significance for easing the COVID-19 crisis, according to new analysis from the International Labour Organization (ILO). The briefing paper puts forward a series of urgent measures and long-term measures about it, including safeguards for health care, employment and basic income.

3、WTO: A Sharp Contraction in World Trade Extending into the Second Quarter
The volume of world merchandise trade is likely to fall precipitously in the first half of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts the global economy, according to the WTO Goods Trade Barometer released on 20 May. The index currently stands at 87.6, far below the baseline value of 100, suggesting a sharp contraction in world trade extending into the second quarter. This is the lowest value on record since the indicator was launched in July 2016.

4、U.S. Retail in Transition under Impact of Epidemic
The U.S. retail has presented two trends amid mounting economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported. Many traditional retail enterprises under impact of epidemic have to cut jobs, close branches and even go bankrupt, on the other side, enterprises with digital transition take a favorable turn. Some analysts believe that the COVID-19 pandemic may change consumers' shopping habits and stimulate U.S. retail enterprises transitioned to digital forms.

5、China’s Foreign Trade Faces with Major Challenges due to Decrease of Global Economic Activities
China’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was 50.8% in April, down 1.2 per cent from last month. The new orders index was 50.2%, down 1.8 per cent from last month and lower than the production index. Uncertainties of the import and export markets are increasing. The new export orders index was 33.5% and the new import orders index was 43.9%, down 12.9 and 4.5 per cent respectively. Part of manufacturing enterprises report that the new export orders have decreased sharply, and even the orders that were already producing have been cancelled.

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