Routes towards respecting human rights at work within the framework of the WTO agreements
Free market and human rights – are these compatible interests? This was one of the major topics of this conference organised by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) in Brussels on 29 et 30 September 2008. According to the conference conclusions, core labour rights constitute a major lever in bringing about compatibility and complementarity between a legal approach involving respect for those rights, an economic approach regarding their positive impact for human development, and a political approach which, in addition to the State players, allows the trade union organisations to participate in the definition of policies negotiated at the global level.
The conference examined the possibilities of changing the rules of global governance in order to ensure the respect of human rights within the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) global agreements. It aimed to contribute to the implementation of a high-level multipartite dialogue leading to practical and operational proposals. The conference brought together trade unions, researchers, legal experts and representatives of public and international institutions.
According to the study report on Fundamental human rights at work in international trade (1.2Mb PDF) which constituted the basis for this conference, the United Nation’s sustainable development approach is the political and institutional path for the recognition of labour rights by the WTO. However, it is clear that the instruments, or the institutions, of global governance need to be reformed if the new global system is to be given frameworks and rules giving it fresh legitimacy.
The trade union organisations, together with some non-governmental organisations (NGOs), represent central strategic players in taking on this challenge.
The two-day conference concluded with practical and operational proposals for building these fundamental rights into world trade, such as:
- building a global citizenship which should be based on universal law and human rights, as well as monitoring and controlling the enforceability of these rights. Accordingly, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) must play a role in the applicability of all these rights;
- including ILO as a party to trade negotiations, as well as the trade unions, so that their extensive expertise in this respect contributes to the negotiations;
- establishing a trade union inspectorate to check the applicability of standards and labels in multinational companies;
- integrating social and environmental standards into world trade.
Further information
To read or download the conference programme, summary and debates (also available in German: Menschengrundrechte am Arbeitsplatz im internationalen Handel (274Kb PDF)), as well as the report, please click on the respective icon below.
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