Decent Work and Sustainable Economic Growth: An Analysis of Argentina and Brazil's Performance in Promoting SDG 8

Abstract

With 193 member countries, the UN General Assembly established the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to promote a more equitable and sustainable future by 2030, addressing issues such as poverty, education, gender equality, and environmental preservation. Brazil and Argentina have made progress on the SDGs through bilateral policies and regional integration, with relations beginning in 1828 through the Treaty of Peace and Friendship and strengthened by the creation of MERCOSUR in 1991, focusing on sustainable economic development and regional cooperation. This article specifically focuses on SDG 8, which promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work conditions for all. The research aims to answer the following question: How have Argentina and Brazil advanced or faced setbacks in promoting decent work and sustainable economic growth in line with SDG 8? Using a hypothetico-deductive methodology and employing documentary and bibliographic research techniques, the study focuses on SDG 8, which seeks to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, while fostering full, productive employment and decent working conditions for all. The goal is to contribute to strengthening public policies in both countries, promoting a decent work and economic growth agenda that can serve as a model for other regions, in alignment with the core principles of the 2030 Agenda.