Rio+20 Checklist for Unions in Rio
THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU GO TO RIO:
Find out WHO IS GOING to represent your government in Rio! Bring names, e-mail addresses and mobile phone numbers!
Send the ITUC template letter to your government (it will be sent to you this week) and ask for amendments to the Rio+20 Zero Draft from your government.
Try and book a meeting in Rio with your government’s delegation in Rio. [Let us know] if you have a meeting or if you are part of a governmental delegation.
Ask your communications /media team to find out if any journalists from your country are going to be in Rio. Get their mobile number and email addresses and send them to [email protected] We do a multi-lingual media operation in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese – so please let us know which language the journalists work in. Tell journalists that the ITUC will be doing special briefings on what is happening during the summit and will be able to set up interviews with trade union leaders and workers.
Ask your union to post a story on your union website or in the union journal or newspaper about what you and the trade unions are doing at Rio.
Ask your communications/media team if they want to be on the email list for press releases from Rio to send out media releases in your national media markets back home. Send their email address to [email protected]
Important to BRING with you:
— ONE poster from your trade union organisation on one or several Rio matters
— If you are participating in the rally on June 20, you will receive a T-shirt to wear, but please bring flags or banners from your country or organisation.
— Pins, badges or T-shirts from your organisation to wear while attending meetings, etc., in Rio
THINGS TO DO IN RIO
LOBBY YOUR GOVERNMENT IN RIO AND AT HOME:
Join us in our trade union daily meeting 14-22 June (12-1pm) in the Major Group Pavilion, T1
Your main task during the Rio meeting is to lobby your government to include the trade union demands into the final Rio Declaration. You can use the Lobby Sheet that ITUC has produced and printed and give it to the people you are meeting in Rio. There will also be printed copies of ITUC policies at the Trade Union Assembly that you can use for this purpose. The Prepcom takes place 13-15 June, and this is when the main lobbying will take place. It will not be possible for participants to speak in the Summit itself. A smaller group will stay and keep in contact with governments and others.
Ask your government to attend the ITUC side-event at the Summit, or offer to take them there yourself: 17 June, 17:30-19:00 at the convention centre in RioCentro, Room T-2.
Attend the ITUC Trade Union Assembly: This is where you will get your main updates on policies, be able to have discussions with other trade unionists on good ways to lobby, and find a great network of people working on the same topics as yourself.
VISIBILITY:
There are going to be hundreds of trade unionists in Rio for this meeting – this is a chance to also show off that there are unions involved in many events in Rio. So put on a union T-shirt and use the canvas bag that you will be given when walking around in Rio, attending the People’s Summit.
For the rally on 20 June, you can wear the T-shirt that ITUC will give to you (Brazilian unions will be wearing their own organisation’s T-shirt) but please bring banners, flags, etc.
MOST IMPORTANT ITUC EVENTS:
On the ITUC Rio website you can find a calendar with events: www.ituc-csi.org/rio-20. If you are organising an event, please let us know so that we can add it here.
These are the main trade union events for you to keep track on:
— The Trade Union Assembly: 11-13 June
— BWI Conference: 11-13 June
— PREPCOM (your main lobby opportunity): 13-15 June
— People’s Summit: 15-23 June
— Rally: 20 June
— Rio Dialogues (by invitation only): 16-19 June
— ITUC Side-event in the Summit: 17 June, 17:30-19:00
— UN’s Rio Earth Summit: 20-22 June
— FTT event in the People’s Forum 19 June
COMMUNICATION:
Keep your own organisation and your members updated on the Rio process and what is happening on the spot. You can do this in a number of ways, but check if your union can use the following means, for example:
— Post news on your website. (The ITUC will publish regular updates on the ITUC website, keep track of this page: www.ituc-csi.org/rio-20 .)
— Post short updates and/or photos on Facebook: your own status as well as if your organisation has a group or page. Post a comment on the wall of the ITUC Facebook page.
— If you or your organisation use Twitter, this is a good opportunity of posting updates #ituc #rioplus20.
— Any type of e-mail groups or newsletters you have to communicate with others interested in this topic
Remember that we would like to know what you are doing in Rio. Let us know of any event you are organising, and also, if you have a meeting with governments, we would like to have an update of the meeting. Please send these to Alison Tate and Anabella Rosemberg.
Keep your eyes open – if you can, check every morning for updates :
— www.ituc-csi.org/rio-20
— Like this page: https://www.facebook.com/ituccsi
— Join this group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/184664788615/
— Follow #ITUC and #rioplus20
