To achieve an inclusive world of work, in which women and men everywhere receive equal pay for work of equal value across all countries and sectors. By 2030, and in line with the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development, EPIC’s is working towards the universal ratification of ILO Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) and visible efforts and results by governments and the private sector to implement equal pay initiatives.

The ILO will provide technical assistance, policy advice and capacity-building on how to promote equal pay for work of equal value .It will review trends in gender inequalities in pay and in policies to curb them, with emphasis on addressing gaps due to discrimination in remuneration. It will provide advice on a campaign for universal ratification of ILO Convention No. 100. It will promote interregional and cross-country sharing of knowledge and experience, capacity building and peer learning – including through South-South and triangular cooperation mechanisms. In collaboration with the other Parties, it will guide the process on engagement with the private sector and the trade unions, the organization of global equal pay conferences, and resource mobilization. It will develop and host the EPIC website, which will contain an online knowledge-sharing platform. UN-Women will provide strategic communication and advocacy support to EPIC. It will develop and implement global and regional communications and advocacy initiatives. It will support the development of the EPIC website, and contribute to the online knowledge-sharing platform. It will take the lead in media and social media campaigns to proactively promote EPIC events, conferences and seminars at the global, regional and national levels. It will engage with policy makers, influencers, the media and civil society at all levels to advocate for EPIC and promote sharing of knowledge and experience and ensure dissemination of information, including on good practices and other proactive measures needed to achieve Target 8.5 to the wider public. The OECD will provide advice and support to EPIC in the area of research and data collection on equal pay, as well as providing technical assistance, capacity-building, policy advice and sharing of best practice. The OECD will develop and implement a research and data collection strategy, which could involve universities, independent experts and think tanks with the aim of developing new knowledge, and tracking data. It will regularly undertake analysis on gender equality in the labour market and other factors affecting gender pay gaps to contribute to the EPIC-knowledge base and a global trends report every five years. The OECD will be actively involved in and support the development of the website for EPIC and the design and operation of its online knowledge-sharing platform to facilitate an exchange of information, trends, lessons learned and good practices on what works and how, to all members engaged in EPIC.

Target 8.5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals calls for equal pay for work of equal value by 2030. This is a bold and ambitious target, and requires an equally bold and ambitious partnership to meet it. EPIC was founded on the recognition that no single actor can solve this challenge alone and that progress can only be accelerated through cooperation and collaboration between a wide range of different stakeholders. Poor knowledge sharing arrangements are a major obstacle to achieving the ambitious SDG target 8.5. This can be due to information not being shared publicly, no one repository to collect and disseminate all data and reports and with the abundance of resources and tools not knowing which ones are the best. EPIC’s knowledge sharing platform will be the leading resource for legislation, data, research and guides, publications and training materials on equal pay that will guide relevant public policy and research actors to make evidence-based policy choices. It will seeks to overcome these challenges through the creation of a one-stop-shop for practitioners and the private sector, working to achieve target 8.7. Against this background a technical meeting on Promoting better indicators, statistics, data and policies to reduce the gender pay gap was organized in Iceland from 2-3rd April 2019. The objectives of this technical meeting were threefold: •Review different methodologies and tools used to measure the gender pay gap, and its implications; •Deconstruct the gender pay gap, with a view to unveiling the unexplained portion; and •Consider appropriate policy measures to eliminate the unexplained portion of the gender pay gap. The meeting brought together approximately 80 participants from more than 20 countries, including students from Reykjavik University and representatives from the Icelandic private sector.

For the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) to operate credibly, effectively and strategically, it should be guided by a Steering Committee. The EPIC Secretariat will approach countries which have shown interest in supporting EPIC, to be part of the Steering Committee. Such countries will also have adopted and implemented pioneering measures to achieve equal pay, and will be committed to achieving Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value. All members of the Steering Committee are subject to the same agreed criteria for engagement in EPIC as other members. The Steering Committee will comprise a maximum of two countries from each of the following regions: Europe, Americas, Africa, Asia/Pacific, and Arab States. In addition, the Steering Committee will include one representative from both workers' and employers' Organizations, nominated by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and International Organization of Employers (IOE) respectively. The Steering Committee will be led by a Chair, to be elected from among its members. The Steering Committee will guide the activities of the Coalition, providing direction and leadership on action to achieve equal pay for work of equal value. It will facilitate strategic coherence at the global, regional and national levels. Additionally the Steering Committee will: o Identify priority areas for action; o Finalize and approve a Work Plan through the end of 2020 in the first instance, with future periods to be determined; o Provide strategic direction for the Coalition; o Set the overall direction for resource mobilization and make resource allocation decisions for pooled funding; o Authorize the establishment of working groups; o Convene meetings with the Secretariat and Working Groups as needed; and o Consider the relevant resources and staffing levels required for the effective governance of resources.

the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) is a unique coalition, led by the ILO, UN Women, and the OECD. EPIC members include countries, employers’ and workers’ organizations, private sector, civil society and UN entities.