1st International Conference on Informal Work: Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Santiago de Cali, Colombia, 9 – 11 November 2026

The ILO estimates that 60% of workers in the world work without a formal employment contract; and the health, safety and wellbeing of these workers are largely ignored by occupational health and safety systems, worker protection laws and even scientific research. To increase awareness about and address important ergonomics issues facing the vulnerable, diverse and poorly understood population of informal workers, the IEA in 2024 approved the formation of the Technical Committee on Informal Work and in 2025 participated as a founding signatory to establishing the Global Coalition for Informal Workers’ Health, Safety and Wellbeing along with the International Conference on Occupational Health Scientific Committee on OH in Small-Scale Enterprises and the Informal Sector (ICOH-SC-OHSSEIS) and the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA).

The 1st International Conference on Informal Work with the theme ‘Health, Safety and Wellbeing of Workers’ will be held from the 9th to 11th November 2026 at the Universidad del Valle in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, as co-organizer in collaboration with the GCIW s. This three-day hybrid conference will cover topics ranging from ergonomics assessments and interventions to occupational health services, occupational hygiene issues and legal and psychosocial risks in the informal economy including technology mediated gig work. Informal worker representatives will be invited to share lived experiences, thus creating a space for dialogue and reflection to better understand the reality of informal work globally and identify innovative methods for improving the health, safety, and wellbeing of informal workers. The conference will feature keynote presentations and representation from the IEA, ICOH, IOHA, ILO, International Social Security Association (ISSA), Sociedad Colombiana de Ergonomía, and other international and regional organizations.

• Call for abstracts is open now until July 20, 2026

Interested individuals can register to participate either online or in person, and original contributions including research findings, theoretical frameworks, policy proposals, and worker/practitioner experiences, related to health, safety, and wellbeing of informal workers (outside formal employment arrangements) are welcome.

Please see the conference website for details about abstract submission guidelines, registration and the preliminary program: https://sites.google.com/correounivalle.edu.co/iciw2026/

For conference inquiries, please contact: citi2026cali@correounivalle.edu.co

For information about the IEA Informal Work Technical Committee, please contact Chair, Clive D’Souza (clive.dsouza@pitt.edu) or Vice Chair for Europe, Maggie Graf (maggie.graf@fastmail.com)

Event Organizers

The Conference will be organized and hosted by the School of Public Health at Universidad del Valle in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, and co-organized by the Global Coalition on Informal Workers’ Health, Safety, and Wellbeing (GCIW), with endorsement from the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), Scientific Committee on Occupational Health in Small-Scale Enterprises and the Informal Sector (SC OHSSEIS), the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA) and in collaboration with other academic networks and national and international organizations including the Sociedad Colombiana de Ergonomía (SCE), the International Labor Organization (ILO), International Social Security Association (ISSA), and Women in Informal Employment Globalizing & Organizing (WIEGO).