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3 July, 2000A few countries remain uncompromising on workers' rights.
GENEVA: The United Nations General Assembly Special Session, called "World Summit for Social Development and Beyond: Achieving Social Development for All in a Globalising World," was held in Geneva from June 26-30. The purpose was to reaffirm commitments made at the previous Special General Assembly in Copenhagen in 1995, examine the progress made since then, and determine further initiatives to be taken for social development.
The Geneva Forum 2000, hosted by the Swiss government, was held in parallel to the Social Summit. It provided a platform for exchanges and sharing of experiences through workshops and panel discussions. The general secretary of the International Metalworkers' Federation, Marcello Malentacchi, participated in two of the panels organised by the International Labour Organisation -- one on Organising Social Justice and Promoting Sustainable Social Development, and the other on Copenhagen +5 and Beyond: Global Mechanisms for Social Dialogue.
On July 1, the final outcome document of the U.N. Social Summit, comprising three parts, 40 pages and 183 paragraphs, was adopted after long debates, innumerable amendments and counter-proposals. These conclusions direct the U.N. to increase its activities towards the eradication of poverty and the promotion of full employment. However, they do not adequately cover basic workers' rights and other labour issues, and the ILO's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work was not included in the Political Declaration, as demanded by the trade unions and supported by many governments, due to the hardline position of a few countries in the G-77.
Essential elements of the final document (Part III) can be summarised as follows:
- Increased priority has been given in national and international policy objectives to social development since Copenhagen 1995, but little progress has been made in some key areas.
- Globalisation provides beneficial opportunities but also potential damage and costs.
- National environments are affected by global influences and forces beyond the control of individual governments.
- The quality of work and level of employment need to be improved by, inter alia, "making continued efforts towards ratifying - where they (governments) have not done so -- and fully implement the ILO conventions concerning basic workers' rights, namely freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to organise and bargain collectively, the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, the effective abolition of child labour and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation," and "respecting, promoting and realising the principles contained in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and Its Follow-up."
- Quantitative targets have been set in the fields of education, water supply, malnutrition among children under five years old, adult illiteracy rates, maternal mortality rates, infant mortality, life expectancy and adequate shelter for all.
- The struggle for women's equality must be stepped up.
- Special development assistance is needed for the least developed countries.
- Mobilisation of resources for social development should be promoted by developing appropriate means of international cooperation in tax matters.
- Overall goals are eradication of poverty, full employment, social integration.
Click on the associated link to read the full text of the final outcome document.
The Geneva Forum 2000, hosted by the Swiss government, was held in parallel to the Social Summit. It provided a platform for exchanges and sharing of experiences through workshops and panel discussions. The general secretary of the International Metalworkers' Federation, Marcello Malentacchi, participated in two of the panels organised by the International Labour Organisation -- one on Organising Social Justice and Promoting Sustainable Social Development, and the other on Copenhagen +5 and Beyond: Global Mechanisms for Social Dialogue.
On July 1, the final outcome document of the U.N. Social Summit, comprising three parts, 40 pages and 183 paragraphs, was adopted after long debates, innumerable amendments and counter-proposals. These conclusions direct the U.N. to increase its activities towards the eradication of poverty and the promotion of full employment. However, they do not adequately cover basic workers' rights and other labour issues, and the ILO's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work was not included in the Political Declaration, as demanded by the trade unions and supported by many governments, due to the hardline position of a few countries in the G-77.
Essential elements of the final document (Part III) can be summarised as follows:
- Increased priority has been given in national and international policy objectives to social development since Copenhagen 1995, but little progress has been made in some key areas.
- Globalisation provides beneficial opportunities but also potential damage and costs.
- National environments are affected by global influences and forces beyond the control of individual governments.
- The quality of work and level of employment need to be improved by, inter alia, "making continued efforts towards ratifying - where they (governments) have not done so -- and fully implement the ILO conventions concerning basic workers' rights, namely freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to organise and bargain collectively, the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, the effective abolition of child labour and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation," and "respecting, promoting and realising the principles contained in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and Its Follow-up."
- Quantitative targets have been set in the fields of education, water supply, malnutrition among children under five years old, adult illiteracy rates, maternal mortality rates, infant mortality, life expectancy and adequate shelter for all.
- The struggle for women's equality must be stepped up.
- Special development assistance is needed for the least developed countries.
- Mobilisation of resources for social development should be promoted by developing appropriate means of international cooperation in tax matters.
- Overall goals are eradication of poverty, full employment, social integration.
Click on the associated link to read the full text of the final outcome document.