TUDCN meeting in the Asia Pacific Region Between the 3rd and the 5th of December 2014 the trade union development cooperation meeting took place in Bangkok. ITUC-AP gathered organisations from different countries of Asia and the Pacific to discuss issues and plan future work around Development Cooperation in the region. The meeting ended with the elaboration of a preliminary work plan which will consolidate the networking in the Asia Pacific region as a key strength for the achievement of trade union objectives around development policies. Read more
Trade union participation to the Steering Committee of the Global Partnership for an Effective Development Cooperation (The Hague 20-21/01) Wellington Chibebe, Deputy Secretary General of the ITUC, recently took part (19-20 January) in the 7th meeting of the Steering Committee of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC), and the second official meeting since the High Level Meeting in Mexico City in April 2014. More information
$2 lost for every $1 dollar gained: the single fact that shows how the global financial system fails developing countries. This will make you angry. After six months crunching all the best data from international institutions, here’s what we found: for every dollar developing countries have earned since 2008, they have lost $2.07. In fact, lost resources have averaged over 10% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP). To read the full EURODAD article
European Citizens Call for Increased Aid to Developing World An overwhelming majority of citizens in the 28-member European Union (EU) – which has been hamstrung by a spreading economic recession, a fall in oil prices and a decline of its common currency, the Euro – has expressed strong support for development cooperation and increased aid to developing nations. Read more
Post-2015 challenge: Towards a Sustainable Development that leaves no one behind In 2000, the Millennium Development Goals were adopted by the United Nations to reduce extreme poverty by half by 2015. To assess their impact, ATD Fourth World assessed the MDG with people living in poverty and extreme poverty in 12 countries.The results of this two-year participatory research project are presented in a report published at the beginning of September 2014: “Challenge 2015: Towards Sustainable Development that Leaves No One Behind”, downloadable in French, English and Spanish on the site: www.atd-quartmonde.org. Read more
Interview of Matt Simonds (ITUC/TUDCN) during the EU Policy Forum on Development
Multinationals and their multi-million claims against developing countries Dutch bilateral treaties play a key role in court cases filed against developing countries by multinationals, whenever they believe a new set of regulations hurts their interests. More than 10 percent of all known claims are based on a Dutch Treaty, of which three out of every four by companies whose only presence in the Netherlands is a mailbox. Read more
Upcoming events
Latin America Regional Development Network Meeting (focus on advocacy), Panama City Date 2-4/03/2015
Thematic seminar: OCA (organizational capacity assessment) frameworks, Brussels Date 19-20/03/2015
TUDCN General Meeting, Florence Date 27-29/04/2015
News from the network
“Lawyers have a social responsibility” Few attorneys dream of working with union issues in Colombia - the world’s most dangerous country for trade unionists. Yet newly graduated lawyers Ana Maria Amado and Eduardo Chavez, who have worked as interns at the LO and TCO Labour Law Development Program in Colombia, stand out. “We have a passion for union issues.” Read more
Precarious Work Conference – video report On 27 and 28 November 2014, FNV Mondiaal, IndustriALL and ITUC organised the International Working Conference on Trade Union Strategies on Precarious Work. This working conference focused on strategies to reverse these trends, and how precarious workers can be organised (best practices). More than 60 global trade union representatives came together in Amsterdam to discuss trade union strategies to stop precarious work. See the video report here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JLh_-7hhT6o or on the precarious work website of FNV Mondiaal: www.precariouswork.org
Welcome to Corpocratia FNV Mondiaal proudly presents..... Welcome to Corpocratia. This short animated film with a twist is an introduction to the precarious work issue. We hope you enjoy it. The film, the first in a series of four, may be used freely by other organisations and will also become available in Spanish in the course of this year. See the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MPn34gnndfc or on the precarious work website of FNV Mondiaal: www.precariouswork.org
Nearly 1,000 Agriculture Workers in Morocco Celebrate First Bargaining Pact The Confédération Démocratique du Travail (Democratic Labor Confederation, CDT) and an agro-industry employer signed a collective bargaining agreement today that covers nearly 1,000 agricultural workers on five large farms in Morocco’s fertile Meknes region. The pact follows a multi-year campaign by the CDT, with support from the Solidarity Center, to help workers in orchards, olive groves and vineyards improve wages and job safety. More information
Why European Year for Development is a Trade Union Issue President Michael D Higgins was guest of honour at the Irish launch of the European Year for Development (EYD) in Dublin Castle, which was an appropriate way to mark this potentially critical year – for trade unions and wider society alike.
Over the course of 2015 two United Nations summits will effectively define the parameters for future international policy making. Read the full article
World Solidarity Campaign 2014: 'We want clean clothes' Every year World Solidarity (WS) launches a campaign of solidarity with its partners in the South.Last year World Solidarity, which is also a member of the Belgian Clean Clothes Platform, decided to focus its annual campaign on ’clean’ clothes. Under the heading ’We want clean clothes’ - meaning clothes produced in decent conditions – the emphasis of the campaign was on the demand that our clothes be produced in decent conditions, in which the millions of workers in the South can enjoy fundamental workers’ rights More information
The FGTB and its partners tackle AIDS in Africa The Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique (FGTB) is taking on the fight against HIV/AIDS at home and abroad. The various ways of tackling the pandemic are primarily aimed at helping people living with HIV/AIDS to carry on working and ensuring they have access to the appropriate antiretroviral treatment. Read more
4th photo contest of SOTERMUN (Association for Solidarity with workers in impoverished countries)
Improving labour perspectives for Moldovan youth 240 young people developed their skills for getting a better job, 400 young individuals uncertain about their career have been helped to choose the right career, over 8000 people learned about the socio-economic rights of young people and how these rights can be protected. Read more
A research on women in the informal economy in three districts of Ethiopia The condition of workers in the informal economy has always challenged the unions and all those committed to human rights and work rights. Read more
Other newsletters
Sustainable Development in action, January 2015 More
Social Watch News, No. 201, 6 February 2015More
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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.
