Laura Martin, from Sustainlabour, expressed workers concerns that the draft declaration only reaffirms previous engagements and does not describe the future we and future generations want.
The declaration should include a section on the principles of the green economy: equitable, inclusive, based on a rights’ approach and a just transition, non speculative, etc... The green economy should be a lot more and a lot better regulated than the current economy and perform better socially and environmentally.
She also expressed her surprise with the lack of references in the zero draft to inequality as a serious sustainability problem and to redistribution policies as a solution and finally asked for a mention of major groups and their specific roles and pledges in the declaration.
But trade unions did not solely complain. Laura Martin also expressed workers support for the references in the zero draft to social protection and decent work, as well as the recognition of green and decent jobs as key in advancing sustainability and the mention of innovative sources of finance.
On institutions for sustainable development , she noted that sustainable development governance does not need the mere creation of institutions but the definition of their mandates and a framework of democratic rights, transparency and accountability on which those institutions need to be based.
Laura`s speech was based on the ITUC contribution to the zero draft which can be downloaded here
You can read the full speech here
