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different paths to enforcement, with some takinga centralised approach in overseeing and controllingpayments for monitoring, while others followa ‘consulting firm approach’ which allows companiesto choose and pay for their own monitors.There is a need to move towards unified codes inthe interest of promoting good governance in thebusiness sector.Labour Rights, Social Protection, EmploymentCreation: trade-offs or complementarities?The emerging global social contract shouldinclude the promotion of more and better employmentopportunities and aim to reduce the existinggaps in protection, particularly concentratedin poorer population. It has to open opportunitiesas well as to provide protection. There are tradeoffsinvolved, but there are also strong complementarities.The experience accumulated duringthe last decades could contribute to enhance thelatter effects, without ignoring the lessons learntto diminish unnecessary costs introduced by illdesignedpolicies. Security provides incentivesfor learning and innovation and both are requirementsfor growth and employment creation. Thereis also need to facilitate adaptation of firms to thenew competitive conditions, and this is particularlyrelevant in matters involving labour contractsand regulations.One of the lessons learnt is that the prescriptionfor flexibility, through the introduction of temporaryor atypical labour contracts, has serious drawbacks, affecting more than the lives of workersand their families. The rigidity of the permanentcontract and, particularly, the costs involved interminating this type of contract, could constitutea barrier in times of adjustment. On the otherhand, such contracts also provide a simple way ofprotection in countries where other mechanisms,like unemployment insurance, do not exist or arevery limited. The erosion of the permanent contractcan be changed by going back to a modifiedversion; for example, by introducing longer trialperiods, reducing or increasing the severancepayments in case of termination of employment,etc. The availability of temporary and fixed-termcontracts will still be needed, particularly to openwider opportunities for those more affected byunemployment and for those who wish to reconcileeducation or house-family care responsibilities.At the same time, temporary or fixed-termjobs should not replace permanent jobs and thelimits of their use should be established throughconsultation and dialogue.The legal recognition of hidden employmentrelations or those without contracts will provideidentity to the affected workers and constituteenabling conditions for them to exercise theirlabour rights, particularly labour and socialprotection. At the same time, the formalisation ofemployment relations, even if gradually achieved,opens opportunities and provides incentives forimproving business management. A culturalchange in the management of micro-enterprisesand, particularly, of family businesses is induced,since compliance with labour obligations requiresthe introduction of accountancy and cost benefitsanalysis to ensure viability of the enterprise. Theright of association is also conducive to developingalliances between producers, thus reinforcingtheir voice and their ability to negotiate with localauthorities; it is also enabling for potential pricereduction of their inputs and for easier accessto concentrated markets. This also representsa major cultural change since it means shiftingfrom individualistic to collective behaviour. Therehas been international tripartite consensus on theneed to combat disguised employment relationships.National policy could serve to ensure effectiveprotection to workers especially affected by156