SOTERMUN celebrates 20 years, 100th edition of Ser Seres Solidarios

SOTERMUN, the USO’s trade union cooperation development NGO is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It coincides with other notable events: the 25th anniversary of the USO’s International Solidarity Fund and the 100th edition of its publication Ser Seres Solidarios within the framework of the USO’s 10th Confederal Congress.

SOTERMUN’s two decades in existence have laid valuable foundations of solidarity and have given meaning to the goal for which the organisation was created: to expand the USO’s trade union solidarity and cooperation with workers in the world’s poorest countries, with their trade union organisations and their environment; contributing our grain of sand towards achieving a new global era with a human face and decent work.

During these twenty years SOTERMUN has consolidated and equipped itself with the tools for solidarity action, contributing to over 500 solidarity actions and projects in over 40 countries of Latin America, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and in Palestine, to the value of around 12 million euros in direct contributions from the USO and funding from public institutions. The level of recognition and prestige attained by SOTERMUN led the Spanish authorities to declare it an ’Entidad de Utilidad Pública’ (an entity of public interest) in 1998. This year, in 2013, it was awarded the seal of transparency and good governance by the CONGDE (Spanish Coordinator of Non Governmental Organisations for Development). It is also a member of the ITUC Solidarity Fund Management Board.

SOTERMUN has signed a special solidarity cooperation agreement with the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), has made a strong contribution to strengthening ITUC Africa and has developed solidarity action with over 60 social and trade union partners in poor countries.

By Santiago González Vallejo, USO/SOTERMUN