GDP is an indicator predominantly used by economists and policymakers to assess the general health of an economy and society, and accordingly GDP growth has often been the main objective of economic policy. However the reliance on the GDP indicator alone is deeply flawed, as it only measures the size of economic production without necessarily reflecting how growth is shared, whether growth is reflected in improvements to living standards, or if it is compatible with other important objectives, such as the reduction in carbon emissions. In 2020, the ITUC published thereport, ‘What really matters: Measuring government accountability and moving beyond GDP’, put forward a proposed framework for assessing progress across six key dimensions: the economy, living standards, social protection and public services, the environment, democratic rights and freedoms, and engagement of people. This meeting discussed how the monitoring framework can be adapted to the national context, and will explore methodologies and approaches to assess government accountability beyond GDP at the national, regional and international levels. The meeting moreover served as a venue for exchange between trade unions on their priorities and actions for moving beyond GDP.

You can download here the background note, agenda, and speakers’ presentations.