Dear friend,
The network has been buzzing with activity during the past three months. Here is a quick recap of our key actions, followed by upcoming events you won’t want to miss.
We organised four high-level webinars, starting with a two-day Global Meeting on trade union strategies for shaping global development cooperation. Regional sessions followed, focusing on Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Americas, where Marita González (CGT Argentina) highlighted the catastrophic employment situation under Milei’s presidency.
The United Nations published the list of the 39 countries that will present their Voluntary National Reviews in 2025, setting the stage for the ITUC’s A Trade Union Focus on the SDGs reports and delegation to the High-Level Political Forum.
The network contributed to the ITUC’s submission to the 4th UN Finance for Development Conference (FFD4) and criticised an initial "elements paper" for its “blatant disregard for the principles of decent work”, as highlighted by ITUC delegate Mahongora Kavihuha (TUCNA Namibia) at the December FFD4 preparatory meeting.
Monitoring continues on the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, discussed at the EU-Africa Policy Development Forum in Nairobi where an important trade union delegation -including ITUC Africa General Secretary Joel Akhator Odigie- advocated for workers’ rights, as Anne Cécile Coly (UNSAS Senegal) explains here.
The network also supported the ITUC’s effort to align the Global Compact on Migration (GCM) with the SDGs, particularly Goal 8 on decent work and Goal 1’s indicator 1.3.1 on social protection.
At the national level, ASI Venezuela has been holding workshops on ILO labour standards to develop trade union proposals for the new minimum wage body established by their Social Dialogue Forum. Trade unions in Nepal met with UN Resident Coordinator Hanna Singer-Hamdy to strengthen collaboration on labor rights. In Spain, Comisiones Obreras Catalunya’s Peace and Solidarity Foundation, with support from the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, presented a report highlighting the crucial role of Global Framework Agreements in advancing decent work and the SDGs.
“Only by moving beyond GDP towards inclusive growth can Africa see true, lasting development” Find out more
Upcoming events
2025 will be a crucial year for development—start marking your calendar with these key dates, where the network will champion workers’ demands:
📅22-23 Jan. ITUC Global Meeting on “Financing for Development” (Online)
📅30 Jan. ITUC -TUCA: Key Transitions Towards SDG 8: Dialogue Between Unions and UN Resident Coordinators (Online)
📅10-14 Feb. UN Commission For Social Development (New York, United States)
📅25-28 Feb. Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (Bangkok, Thailand)
📅10-21 Mar. Commission on the Status of Women (New York, United States)
📅31 Mar. – 4 Apr. Foro de los Países de América Latina y el Caribe sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible (Santiago, Chile)
📅02-03 Apr. Europe’s Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (Geneva, Switzerland)
📅08-10 Apr. Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (Kampala, Uganda)
📆30 Jun. - 3 Jul. 4th Conference on Financing for Development (Seville, Spain)
🗓️14-23 Jul. High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (New York, United States)
🗓️04-06 Nov. Second World Summit for Social Development (Doha, Qatar)
This newsletter is produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. Its content, however, is the sole responsibility of the ITUC and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.