Events and campaigns

July 2008

1. Regional workshop on forced labour and human trafficking

   7 - 9 July 2008, Nairobi, Kenya

   The International Trade Union Confederation - African Regional Organisation (ITUC-Africa) in collaboration with the ITUC, the ILO and the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (ACLIS) organised a three day Capacity Building Regional Workshop on Forced Labour and Human Trafficking for Trade Union Leaders in Africa

June 2008

1. Addressing Forced Labour: The Role of Employers' Organisations and Business

   30 June - 1 July 2008, Bangkok, Thailand

   The conference will discuss why forced labour is an issue for employers and business and what role employer organisations should play to support the efforts of business in combating forced labour at national and international levels.

2. Regional Workshop on Labour inspection and Forced Labour in Latin America

   18 - 20 June 2008, Peru, Lima

   This technical workshop will gather about 50 persons linked to labour inspection and forced labour from 12 Latin American countries

May 2008

1. Regional Workshop for Employers’ Organizations on Strategies against Trafficking and Forced Labour

   21 - 22 May 2008, Kiev, Ukraine

   Workshop organized on 21-22 May 2008 in the framework of the ILO project "Elimination of human trafficking from Moldova and Ukraine through labour market based measures". This high-level event raised awareness and facilitated cooperation and partnership to fight human trafficking bringing together representatives from employers’ organizations and business from Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Poland, and Ukraine. Their involvement is a key to the success of ILO efforts to rid the world of these abuses by 2015.

April 2008

1. International labour standards and equality in employment: Focus on gender issues and racial discrimination

   7 - 18 April 2008, Turin, Italy

   Putting an end to discrimination and to racial discrimination in the world of work is indispensable if we are to achieve sustainable development and greater individual well-being today. The promotion of equal opportunities has always been one of the priorities of the International Labour Organization (ILO) who adopted several international standards against employment inequalities. Some instruments affect all workers. Some others instead are related to gender equality and other specific categories such as migrant workers, indigenous workers or workers with HIV/AIDS.

2. International labour standards and equality in employment: Focus on gender issues and racial discrimination

   7 April 2008 - 7 April 2009, Geneva

   Putting an end to discrimination and to racial discrimination in the world of work is indispensable if we are to achieve sustainable development and greater individual well-being today. The promotion of equal opportunities has always been one of the priorities of the International Labour Organization (ILO) who adopted several international standards against employment inequalities. Some instruments affect all workers. Some others instead are related to gender equality and other specific categories such as migrant workers, indigenous workers or workers with HIV/AIDS.

February 2008

1. Engaging Business: Addressing Forced Labour

   20 February 2008, Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

   On 20 February 2008, the Coca-Cola Company hosted a conference on “Engaging Business: Addressing Forced Labour” at its headquarters in Atlanta. The meeting was sponsored by the U.S. Council for International Business, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the International Organization of Employers, in Cooperation with the International Labour Organization. It brought together 80 representatives from employers’ organizations and individual companies, officials from the US Departments of Labor and State, civil society organisations and the ILO to share experiences and knowledge on combating forced labour.

2. The UN.GIFT Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking

   13 - 15 February 2008, Austria Center, Vienna, Austria

   UN.GIFT aims to mobilize state and non-state players to eradicate human trafficking by reducing both the vulnerability of potential victims and the demand for exploitation in all its forms; ensuring adequate protection and support to those who do fall victim, as well as efficient prosecution of the criminals involved. The Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking will take place in Vienna, Austria, 13-15 February 2008, to raise awareness about human trafficking. More than 1’000 participants are awaited.

December 2007

1. The role of labour inspectors in combating human trafficking and forced labour in Europe

   5 - 6 December 2007, ILO, Geneva

   The meeting serves as a kick-of for ILO’s initiative to strengthen the role of labour inspectors in the national response against forced labour and trafficking. In the framework of this initiative, the ILO is currently developing comprehensive training materials to be used by labour inspectors.

2. Towards a strategy for trade unions in the fight against racial discrimination and xenophobia

   1 - 12 December 2007, Geneva, Switzerland

   This inter-regional meeting of 32 trade unionists provided participants with the require knowledge and tools to develop strategies and realistic practicable action plans, which could be successfully implemented by their respective organizations in the medium to long terms. The meeting also served as a form to report on the findings and conclusions of an ITUC survey on racial discrimination conducted in February 2007. The meeting produced a draft declaration and plan of action which was submitted to the ITUC Congress for approval in early 2008.

October 2007

1. Slavery, Poverty and Social Exclusion - CO/DFID/ILO/ASI high-level Conference

   30 October 2007, London

   Ministers from the FCO and DFID, in conjunction with the International Labour Organisation and Anti-Slavery International, hold a high-level conference with especially invited representatives of civil society, business, trade unions and international organizations, to examine the relationship between slavery, poverty and social exclusion, including how the fight against poverty and human rights violations can support the elimination of forced labour and slavery, facilitating better linkages between the various sectors which have a role to play in eradicating contemporary forms of slavery and identifying specific actions that can be taken to help reduce slavery.

September 2007

1. ILO/ITUC Inter-Regional Conference on Trade Union Action and Strategies on Forced Labour and Trafficking

   9 - 11 September 2007, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, W. Malaysia

   The inter-regional conference will be discussing an international trade union strategy in the fight against forced labour and trafficking. The objectives are to give to all participants a clear view on all aspects of different forms of forced labour and trafficking, their adverse effects on the labour market and the role of the trade union movement in fighting the phenomenon, defining what the main means of action of trade unions are on a (sectoral) local, national, regional and international level.

2. International Labour Standards for Judges, Lawyers and Legal Educators

   3 September 2007, ILO International Training Center, Turin, Italy

   The main objective of the seminar is to equip law professionals with the instruments enabling them to use international labour law elements at national level, including the relevance of ILS on the elimination of forced labour.

July 2007

1. ILO/ACFTU Workshop on Labour standards and fight against forced labour at workplace

   9 - 11 July 2007, Kunming, China

   The workshop will address the role of trade unions in the prevention and eradication of forced labour. The whole training will be based on the principles and provisions of ILO labour standards esp. Conventions No.29 and No.105. The seminar will include 40 trade unionists from the local affiliations of the ACFTU, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, a mass organization of the working class formed voluntarily by the Chinese workers and staff members.

June 2007

1. PROMOTING PAY EQUITY: A TRIPARTITE APPROACH

   29 June 2007, ITC/ILO, Turin, Italy

   In June 2004 the ILO adopted a Resolution for Pay Equity calling for governments, social partners and the ILO to take a set of specific actions to address the gender wage gap. Specifically, the resolution proposes that social partners negotiate the introduction of gender neutral job evaluation schemes, statistical indicators, as well as gender and race reviews at the workplace. It calls on the ILO to strengthen its commitment to gender equality and improve its training and advocacy programmes, as well as research of minimum wages and the provision of public services on the gender wage gap, taking into account also other forms of discrimination. In 2006 the ILO produced a guide for the enforcement of equal pay. This guide, based on a wide research in several countries, analyses different steps in Job Evaluation, focusing on methodologies, approaches and criteria to be considered in order to avoid discrimination. It provides a systematic practical approach to the subject, which will be deeply studied during this course, jointly organized by ILO/Declaration and the ILO International Training Centre.

2. Building a Global Alliance against Forced Labour

   18 - 22 June 2007, Turin, Italy, ILO training centre

   By the end of this five-day training, participants are knowledgeable about the characteristics of different forms of forced labour and trafficking in all their aspects, around the world, and about the main means of action and partnerships required to combat them at the national, regional and global levels. Particular attention will be given to the analysis of NAPs and of relevant measures: legislative action, law enforcement and prevention, to better combat against forced labour and trafficking.

3. Workshop on research and statistics on trafficking in human beings

   7 June 2007, Tbilisi, Georgia

   This workshop was organised jointly by OSCE and the ILO, in the framework of the EC/TACIS programme which covers Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. It tackles the current collection of data and further needs on trafficking in human beings in Georgia.

May 2007

1. Human Trafficking Of Asian Citizens Into The Western Hemisphere

   21 - 22 May 2007, San Diego, California

   Hosted by Organization of American States (OAS), International Labor Organization (ILO), Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition (BSCC), Rescue and Restore Unity Coalition of Southern California, the conference will be held to discuss the trafficking of Asian migrants into the Western Hemisphere.

2. Nordic Expert Seminar on trafficking for forced Labour

   8 - 9 May 2007, Stockholm

   The seminar was organised in cooperation with ILO Special Action Programme to combat Forced Labour (SAP-FL), the OSCE office of the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, and the UNODC Anti- Human Trafficking Unit as a part of its Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking. The goal of the seminar was to gather experts representing ministries, law enforcement, migration authorities as well as labour market parties.

December 2006

1. Technical consultation on forced labour indicators, data collection and national estimates

   13 - 14 December 2006, Geneva, Switzerland

   The objective of the meeting is to discuss how to improve indicators and data on forced labour, including the forced labour outcomes of human trafficking, with a view to promoting better law enforcement and monitoring the impact of national and international policies.