GENEVA (ILO News) - The World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization will hold its fourth meeting at the International Labour Organization (ILO) on 16-18 February 2003.
The Commission is to review the outcomes of a large number of regional and national dialogues and knowledge networks held in the past year, and to consider a draft substantive outline of its final report.
The media is advised that there will be a photo-op at the opening session at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, when the Co-Chairs, President Tarja Halonen of Finland and President Benjamin W. Mkapa of Tanzania will speak.
The ILO launched the World Commission in February of 2002 with the aim of building a consensus on a model of globalization that reduces poverty and insecurity, and increases opportunities for all. The panel was convened under a decision by the ILO Governing Body in November 2001. The Commission will prepare an authoritative report which will include an in-depth analysis of the social dimension of globalization and the implications of this analysis on decent work, poverty reduction and development. A major objective of the Commission is to respond to the need for an integrated policy framework which advances both economic and social goals in the global economy.
The Commission members reflect a wide range of views and policy perspectives on globalization, as well as the experiences of various regions of the world. Additionally, the Chairman and two Vice-Chairs of the ILO Governing Body, as well as the International Labour Office (ILO) Director-General, serve as ex-officio members. All members of the Commission are participating in their personal capacity.
The Commission is co-chaired by President Tarja Halonen of Finland and President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania. The other commission members are: Valentina Matvienko, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia; Eveline Herfkens, Minister for Development Co-operation of the Netherlands; Taizo Nishimuro, President and CEO of the Toshiba Corporation; Giuliano Amato, former Italian Premier; Joseph Stiglitz, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize for Economics; Julio Maria Sanguinetti, former President of Uruguay; Ruth C.L. Cardoso, first Lady of Brazil and President of that country's Community Solidarity Council; Ann McLaughlin Korologos, Vice-Chair of the Rand Corporation and former US Secretary of Labour; Surin Pitsuwan, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand; Deepak Nayyar, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi and former Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India; Hernando de Soto, author and President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy in Peru; John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO; François Périgot, President of the International Organization of Employers, France; Heba Handousa of Egypt, Managing Director of the Economic Research Forum for the Arab countries, Iran and Turkey; Lu Mai, Secretary-General of the China Development Research Centre; Victoria Tauli-Corpuz of the Philippines, Chair-Rapporteur of the Board of Trustees of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations; Aminata D. Traore of Mali, author and Coordinator of the African Social Forum; Ernst Ulrich von Weizsaecker, scientist and German parliamentarian and Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
Ex-officio members are: Bill Brett - United Kingdom, Chairperson of the Governing Body of the ILO for 2002-2003, member of the Workers' group of the ILO Governing Body and member of the House of Lords (UK), Eui-yong Chung - Republic of Korea Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in Geneva, Daniel Funes de Rioja - Argentina, Vice Chairperson of the ILO Governing Body and Chairperson of the Employers' group, Vice President of the International Organization of Employers and Chairman of the Business Technical Committee in Labour Affairs of the American States Organization; Juan Somavia, Chile, Director-General of the ILO; and Alain Ludovic Tou - Burkina Faso, Chairperson of the ILO Governing Body (2001-2002), Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security of Burkina Faso.