IPU eBulletin header Issue No.10, 7 December 2007   

eBULLETIN --> ISSUE No.10 --> ARTICLE 5   

PARLIAMENTARIANS MEET IN LISBON
TO DISCUSS DECENT WORK FOR A FAIR GLOBALIZATION

Members of parliament gathered in Lisbon, at the invitation of the IPU, to participate in the First ILO Forum on Decent Work for a Fair Globalization, which took place from 31 October to 2 November 2007. The legislators joined some 300 representatives of governments, employers, employees, civil society and opinion leaders in debating how best to promote decent and productive work for all in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.

Unemployed

During the Forum, the IPU held a panel discussion, chaired by Senator Sharon Carstairs (Canada). Senator Heráclito Fortes (Brazil) and Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, MEP (Denmark) addressed the panel on parliaments' role in ensuring accountability and coherence of public policy for decent work and fair globalization. On the eve of the Forum, the IPU held a pre-meeting of parliamentarians to discuss how best it could facilitate parliamentary action to advance the decent work agenda and boost its cooperation with the ILO.

The meeting, which was chaired by Senator J.P. Letelier of Chile, concluded that IPU should assist parliaments in moving this agenda forward. It could encourage parliaments to act on issues such as minimum labour standards; decent working conditions and a working environment that is also free of exposure to harmful agents; enhancing employment mobility; migrant workers; "the brain drain" employment for the young; reform of pension systems; and ending child labour.

The meeting also recommended that the IPU establish a parliamentary advisory group on employment and decent work. The group would be composed of some 15 members of parliament from the different geopolitical regions who work on labour, employment and social development issues in their respective parliaments.

The group would facilitate networking between parliamentarians who work on employment and social development issues, prepare working tools for parliamentarians, run parliamentary campaigns on specific issues, and organize regional and global meetings. The group would also undertake a study on how parliaments address the impact of globalization in their respective countries, including an assessment of the role of parliaments in promoting decent work for all.

Previous OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE Next

red cubeFRENCH VERSIONred cubeMAIN PAGE OF THIS ISSUEred cubeARCHIVE OF PAST ISSUES red cube

To unsubscribe from the IPU eBulletin or manage your account settings, visit our Subscription Centre.

Copyright © 2007 Inter-Parliamentary Union