ITUC takes demand for a New Social Contract to the UN General Assembly
Addressing the 193 member states of the UN General Assembly, ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow, said,” The challenges of today are as severe as the world saw in 1919. We face historic levels of inequality, a failed model of globalisation, increasing conflict and military spending, displacement of people at levels never seen before, a climate crisis and massive disruption from technology.”
NDICI: the European Parliament raises the bar on EU’s development cooperation
The European Commission has proposed the creation of a new instrument to unify all EU external policies. Known as NDICI, the original proposal of this instrument was lacking many elements central to the labour movement. The European Parliament recently approved a revision of the Commission’s proposal, which addresses most of these shortcomings.
Trade unions call for strong political will for development at BAPA + 40
An ITUC global delegation participated in the United Nations’ High-level Conference on South-South and Triangular Cooperation. Organised by the UN Office on South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and the Government of Argentina, the Conference took place in Buenos Aires on 20-22 March 2019.
Trade unions present their key asks at the OECD DAC SLM
A trade union delegation participated in the OECD’s annual Development Assistance Committee Senior Level Meeting (DAC SLM) to bring the labour movement’s key positions regarding the future of DAC, the Committee’s engagement areas and innovative ways of financing development.
South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) can be a vital driver of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Trade unions are strongly engaged in SSTC via innovative programmes that cover a range of areas that are key to achieve the SDGs.
APRFSD 2019 : Severe decent work deficits undermine Asia-Pacific’s SDG performance
A delegation of the International Trade Union Confederation - Asia Pacific (ITUC AP) participated in the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (APRFSD) on 27-29 March 2019. During the meeting the delegation cast the spotlight on the regions’ bad SDG score and pointed out the main reasons for this situation.
TUDCN-TUCA Regional Meeting 2019 reaffirms the importance of unions’ engagement in SDGs
The regional meeting took place on 18-19 March in Buenos Aires. Among other topics, participants exchanged on the latest updates on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. In particular, they discussed the state of South-South Cooperation in the region and the role of the private sector in development.
The ATUDN General Meeting 2019 discusses the role of blended finance in development
The African Trade Union Development Network (ATUDN) held its annual General Meeting on 28-29 March 2019 in Lusaka, Zambia. Participants discussed the impact that the use of blended finance in development is having on trade unions’ development work and the role that social dialogue can play for trade unions to engage with their governments regarding the implementation of the SDGs.
Social dialogue and cooperation are the keys to a brighter future
"If the global labour market doesn’t change its orientation, inequality, discrimination and salary gaps will continue to escalate," said Sweden's Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven at the Union to Union and LO seminar on the ILO's report on the future of work.
Trade unions open the doors to dialogue on SDG between the government and civil society in Benin
Anselme Amoussou, Secretary General of CSA Benin, writes about the work his country is doing to achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, and how CSA Benin is contributing to this effort.
Santiago González of the Spanish trade union Unión Sindical Obrera, denounces the lack of political will to achieve the 2030 Agenda: "Many governments say that globalisation must be regulated, but they sign contrary agreements."
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This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the ITUC and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.