Unions put forward key demands for a New Social Contract at the GPEDC Effective Development Cooperation Summit

A trade union delegation, composed of representatives from Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and the ITUC, participated at the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation Summit that took place from the 12th to the 14th of December in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Effectiveness Summit took stock of progress towards the implementation of the four effective development cooperation principles: country ownership, focus on results, inclusive partnerships, and transparency and mutual accountability.

Trade union representatives intervened in the discussions on climate finance, tackling multiple challenges, private sector engagement, and South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

Summit Declaration

The Effective Development Cooperation Summit concluded with the adoption of the Summit Declaration, which will guide the work of the Global Partnership in the coming years.

Trade unions welcomed the Summit Declaration which responds to the multiple challenges that development cooperation is facing and reflects the determination of development cooperation stakeholders to work towards key priorities that are in line with a New Social Contract through references to:

Trade unions’ participation in the Summit

In the session on climate finance, Julius Cainglet, vice president of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW, the Philippines), emphasised the need for a just transition that will ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against climate change and how the development effectiveness principles need to contribute to this.

Eric Manzi, ITUC deputy general secretary, intervened in the discussion on tackling multiple challenges. He highlighted the need for a New Social Contract to face today’s multiple crises and the importance of development cooperation in ensuring investments in decent climate-friendly jobs with just transitions. He also underlined the significance of ensuring universal social protection through a Global Social Protection Fund.

In the session on private sector engagement, Mr Manzi put forward the importance of trade unions in organising the informal economy and showcased this through the example of the organisation of Rwandan moto-taxi drivers. He emphasised the importance of social dialogue and collective bargaining to ensure rights are respected when the private sector engages in development cooperation.

CESTRAR’s deputy general secretary, Jordi Musoni, intervened in the Regional High-Level Dialogue for Africa. He called on governments to engage in inclusive partnerships with trade unions on economic development and planning, stressing that no progress on social and economic development can be achieved without workers.

Marita Gonzalez from CGT Argentina highlighted the need to ensure inclusive approaches with non-state actors in South-South and Triangular Cooperation and emphasised the important role of trade unions in these processes.

 

Learn more

To know more about unions’ work in the GPEDC, contact Diego López, Development Cooperation Policy Coordinator - diego.lopez[@]ituc-csi.org"