Harmonizing Human Dignity and Economic Progress: The Evolution of Labour Rights in the Global Architecture of Sustainable Development

Despite the growing recognition of labour rights within the framework of sustainable development, their structural transformation from national social guarantees into elements of global economic governance remains insufficiently explored. Existing scholarship largely examines labour standards either as traditional human rights instruments or as components of corporate social responsibility, without fully addressing their convergence within the architecture of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This article aims to analyse the evolution of labour rights as a system-forming pillar of sustainable development, focusing on their integration into global regulatory, economic, and corporate governance mechanisms. The study examines how labour standards have shifted from sectoral legal norms to transnational instruments shaping investment practices, corporate accountability, and state obligations.

Methodologically, the research applies an interdisciplinary approach combining historical-legal analysis of international labour standards, comparative examination of European Union social acquis – particularly mandatory human rights due diligence frameworks – and analytical assessment of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) metrics as mechanisms translating labour rights into economic value.

The findings demonstrate a paradigm shift from territorially limited labour protection towards a supranational model of global responsibility. The analysis reveals that voluntary corporate initiatives are insufficient to prevent social dumping and modern forms of labour exploitation, while legally enforceable due diligence mechanisms and ESG-based risk assessment significantly enhance the practical implementation of decent work standards. The study further identifies the emergence of digital dignity as a new regulatory frontier driven by algorithmic management and the precarisation of platform-based work.

The article argues that labour rights constitute an indivisible component of sustainable development, functioning simultaneously as fundamental human rights and as structural determinants of economic resilience. For countries undergoing post-conflict reconstruction and European integration, sustainable recovery requires not merely formal legal transposition but a conceptual rethinking of social solidarity to ensure that economic modernization does not undermine human dignity and decent work.