Call for abstracts: Technology and the transition from informal to formal economy

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) invite researchers to submit proposals for innovative research papers relevant to the theme of the use of digital technologies in support of accelerating results in the transition from the informal to formal economy. The deadline for submission is 31 August 2020.

Authors of six abstracts will be invited to present their work at the virtual Knowledge Sharing Forum on “What works in e-formalization for Asia and the Pacific” in November 2020 and will be considered for a future official ILO publications on the topic.

Key information about the Call for Abstracts:
– Organizers: ILO and ESCAP
– Submission deadline: 31 August 2020
– Notification of acceptance: 15 September 2020
– Submission deadline (annotated outline, presentation): 30 October 2020
– Language: Proposals and full papers should be submitted in English

The Knowledge Sharing Forum is supported through South-South technical cooperation (SSTC). The linkage of SSTC and the formalization of the informal economy has been recognized by the ILO’s work in the area of Social Solidarity Economy, Local Economic Development and the promotion of social protection of workers, both and in the formal and informal economy. The current partnership with United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific involves its communities of knowledge in particular ARTNET on STI. The aim is to bring people of the South and the North together through triangular cooperation, offering an opportunity for peer learning, and knowledge exchange. Such SSTC can be especially relevant as countries strive to learn lessons from the COVID-19 crisis and response, one likely lesson being that weathering a crisis with extensive informality adds to the costs of crisis response and lengthens the recovery process.

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