FOUNDING CONGRESS OF
THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC)
Vienna, 1-3 November 2006
PLENARY PANEL I
“COHESION OR CHAOS – THE GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS”
11.00 – 12.30, THURSDAY 2 NOVEMBER
11.00 Introduction by the Co-Presidents of the Founding Congress
• Moderator (Ms. Eva Pfisterer, Economics Editor for TV, Austrian Broadcasting - ORF) introduces the four Panellists
Opening Remarks:
11.05 Mr. Pascal Lamy, Director-General, World Trade Organisation (WTO)
11.10 Ms. Aruna Rao, Director, Gender at Work, and Civicus
11.15 Ms. Heidemarie Wieczcorek-Zeul, Minister for Development Co-operation of Germany
11.20 Mr. Juan Somavia, Director-General, International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Key Questions for the Panel
This panel provides Congress with the chance to interact with key actors in the global economy – directors of international organisations, a Minister, and a civil society leader – and to put to them points of fundamental importance to the ITUC as it embarks on the task of building a fairer globalisation. Some of the crucial issues will be:
• Do they agree with the ITUC on the need for fundamental change in globalisation?
• If so, how can their organisations contribute to bringing it about and what are the obstacles?
• Is democratic governance of the global economy a real possibility or an illusion?
• What is their answer to those who argue that the only solution is to stop globalisation?
• How do they want to interact with trade unions in general and the ITUC in particular?
11.25 Moderator begins the Debate with Congress
This is envisaged as a spontaneous debate. The moderator will seek to strike a balance between enabling as many Congress Delegates to take the floor as possible (leading her to gather a number of questions at a time, before turning to the panellists for responses) and directing one or more specific questions to one or other panellist in particular (including the possibility of questions from the moderator herself when following up on a panellist’s comment), with the objective of achieving the most interactive and stimulating debate possible.
12.17 Moderator calls on each of the four Panellists to make a closing remark
12.25 Closing Remarks by Co-President of the Founding Congress
12.30 End of Plenary Panel
