Declaration aims for safer, healthier work

The Declaration launched the World Assembly of Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellbeing Professionals and Stakeholders. This network will collaborate on commitments:

• promoting safety and wellbeing
• driving global collaboration
• empowering future leaders
• creating a roadmap of concrete actions between now and 2030.  

The launch took place during the four-day programme “Days on safety, health and wellbeing”. This was organised by the Global Initiative for Safety, Health and Wellbeing at the EXPO2025 and Beyond (GISHW). It’s the first time in more than 170 years that safety and health at work has featured at a World Expo. It shows how vital good work is to this Expo’s overarching theme: “Designing future society for our lives.”

Global effort

Today’s signing is the start of collaboration over the next five years and beyond. It marks a global effort to protect the lives and livelihoods of billions of working people worldwide. 

The Declaration was supported by leaders in the occupational safety and health (OSH) profession and sets the foundation for future collaborative action. It emphasises that occupational safety, health and wellbeing are essential to building the societies we want to live and work in.

The World Assembly’s Declaration serves as a call to action, emphasising that the future of work must be safe, inclusive, fair, and forward-thinking. It brings together a unified voice in support of a global movement that places safety, health, and wellbeing at the heart of societal development.

Key commitments

The Founding Declaration calls for collective action from governments, businesses, policymakers and OSH professionals worldwide. The signatories commit to: 

• promote safety and wellbeing in workplaces, integrating proactive risk management, inclusive design, and ethical technology use
• drive global collaboration to share best practices and expertise, particularly in response to digital transformation, climate change and demographic shifts 
• empower future leaders in the OSH field by ensuring diverse perspectives and fostering innovation, and
• create a shared 2030 Roadmap that will turn these commitments into concrete actions, informed by the outcomes of workshops at Expo 2025.

Together, the signatories pledge to make tangible progress, fostering collaboration and driving the global OSH agenda forward. The aim is to create safer, healthier and more sustainable workplaces for all. The World Assembly community will continue to reflect on and share progress made against the shared priorities outlined in this Declaration. Progress will be revisited at the GISHW Days expected to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2030. 

The World Assembly of Occupational Safety, Health and Wellbeing Professionals and Stakeholders will be a dynamic platform for ongoing dialogue, shared learning and leadership. This is to ensure the joint effort continues and grows in the lead-up to 2030. 

Together, we can drive global progress in safety, health, and wellbeing, creating safer, healthier, and more sustainable workplaces for all.

Founding signatories

• ACWA Power 
• Asia Pacific Occupational Safety and Health Organization (APOSHO) 
• European Network Education and Training in Occupational Safety and Health (ENETOSH) 
• European Network of Safety and Health Professional Organisations (ENSHPO) 
• The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) 
• GalaxyEDGE Safety Inc 
• Global Solutions Inc. 
• Human House 
• International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI) 
• International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) 
• International Ergonomics & Human Factors Association (IEA) 
• The Institute for Global Safety Promotion (IGSAP) 
• International Network of Safety and Health Professional Organisations (INSHPO) 
• International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA) 
• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) 
• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health Management, Mauritius (IOSHM) 
• Lloyd’s Register Foundation 
• Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH) 
• National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) 
• National Safety Council (USA) 
• The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) 
• International ORP Foundation / Fundación Internacional ORP 
• Occupational Safety and Health Africa Foundation (OSH Africa) 
• Pocketknife Group (PKG) 
• Le Réseau d'échange de la francophonie en santé, sécurité et santé environnementale (Reflex)  
• The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) 
• The Safety and Health at Work Promotion Association Thailand (Shawpat) 
• Siemens AG 
• What Works Institute