Inclusion, participation and social protection are therefore global objectives for all the States, the Spanish Minister of Health and Social Policy, Trinidad Jiménez argued.

The Minister addressed the United Nations Commission for Social Development of the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council), in New York, on behalf of the EU as the rotating Presidency of the Council.

“Experience has shown us that many of the workers who lost their jobs due to the drop in demand in the labour market run the risk of being permanently excluded from it, with catastrophic consequences for them, their families and for society as a whole”, Jiménez warned.

Nations' experience of past crises, the Minister added, shows that in some cases short-term responses to high unemployment rates not only resulted in the exclusion of people from the labour market, but also had long-term negative effects on society as a whole.

Amongst the long-term consequences of crises in some countries are groups of unemployed people or inactive workers who tend to remain in this situation in spite of the recovery.

Due to all of these reasons, it is essential that as our economies recover “we ensure that economic growth is accompanied by an increase in employment”, said the Spanish Minister of Health and Social Policy.

The Minister subsequently spoke at the High Level Panel at the UN's headquarters and, on behalf of the European Union, advocated greater social protection during the global economic crisis.

The following day, 4 February, Jiménez held a bilateral meeting with the Austrian Minister of Social Affairs, Employment and Consumer Affairs, Rudolf Hundstorfer.