GENEVA (ILO news) - The Alliance of Civilizations (AoC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in a new effort to promote social cohesion and foster dialogue between cultures.
ILO Director-General Juan Somavia and AoC High representative, and former President of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio signed a joint declaration (link here) of cooperation. The agreement is designed to promote inter-cultural dialogue in areas of common interest such as improving the situation of young people, addressing the particular situation of migrants, eliminating inequalities and combating all forms of discrimination.
"Encouraging social dialogue among ILO constituents is a mechanism that supports the implementation of the goals common to both institutions. The ILO’s structure comprising governments, employers and workers has the advantage of incorporating actors of society." M. Somavia said.
While highlighting the impact of globalization in accelerating multicultural exchange across societies, the joint declaration also reaffirms the central role of the workplace in promoting dialogue and bridging cultures. In this framework, the agreement will be instrumental in fostering joint action to advance the Decent Work Agenda across different cultures.
"The agreement will enable both the Alliance and the ILO, to jointly promote an inclusive dialogue bringing together different cultures and religions with the objective of achieving greater social justice in all regions of the world." The ILO Director-General said.
“Tensions within countries and regions are growing due to the financial crisis. Both institutions together could build up a more tolerant world.” the AoC High representative said.
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The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the UN agency devoted to advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue in handling work-related issues.
The Alliance of Civilizations seeks to reduce tensions across cultural divides that threaten to inflame existing political conflicts or trigger new ones. Working with its global network of government partners, the Alliance promotes policies and initiatives aimed at improving relations between diverse cultural groups. It also works at the grassroots level in society, promoting innovative projects that build trust, reconciliation and mutual respect among diverse communities. The Alliance works in four program areas to support such projects. These areas are: youth, media, education, and migration.
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