Globalization has become a buzzword with a multitude of meanings and interpretations. Generally globalization is taken to mean the gradual integration of economies and societies driven by new technologies, new economic relationships and the national and international policies of a wide range of actors, including governments, international organizations, business, labour and civil society. It is sometimes useful to split the globalization process into two parts. The first concerns factors such as trade, investment, technology, cross-border production systems, information flows, and communication. Though all these factors have brought some economies and some societies closer together, they have also marginalized countries and individuals. The second aspect of the globalization process concerns the increased homogenization of policies and institutions across the world, e.g. trade and capital market liberalization; the dismantling of the welfare state; international agreements on intellectual property rights; and the standardization of policies and behaviours that have promoted globalization. While the first aspect is irreversible, the second is the result of policy choices. Depending on which national policies and international agreements are selected (such as the adoption of international core labour standards), influence can be brought to bear on the social impact of globalization. With sufficiently drastic policy changes, the current economic globalization process could be altered.
The social dimension of globalization relates to the impact of globalization on the life and work of people, their families, and their societies. Concern is often raised about the impact of globalization on employment, working conditions, income and social protection. Beyond the world of work, the social dimension includes security, culture and identity, inclusion or exclusion from society, and the cohesiveness of families and communities.
In order to face the challenges of Globalization, the International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization in February 2002. Its report A fair globalization: Creating opportunities for all was published on 24 Feb. 2004. The Commission was chaired by two heads of state, the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, and the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa. It’s goal was to examine ways in which national and international institutions and organizations can contribute to a more inclusive globalization process acceptable and fair to all. It represented an unprecedented effort to promote national and international dialogue on ideas to make globalization more inclusive, at a time when the debate is dominated by polemics and preconceptions rather than by facts. Although The World Commission was created by the ILO, its report was addressed to the global ommunity as a whole and provided the international community for the first time with the basis for building a consensus on how to achieve fair globalization , and so overcome polarized political positions.
In December 2004, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted Resolution A/RES/59/57 on the World Commission’s report. The resolution set the wider challenges and opportunities linked to globalization within the framework of the comprehensive review of implementation of the Millennium Declaration (at the September 2005 UN World Summit) where over 150 Heads of State and Government endorsed the following under paragraph 47 of the Summit Outcome document: “We strongly support fair globalization and resolve to make the goals of full and productive employment and decent work for all, including for women and young people, a central objective of our relevant national and international policies as well as our national development strategies, including poverty reduction strategies, as part of our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. These measures should also encompass the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, as defined in ILO Convention no. 182, and forced labour. We also resolve to ensure full respect for the fundamental principles and rights at work.”
Soon after, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) followed up on the steps needed to give concrete expression to these aspirations, notably in terms of the need for international institutions to work more coherently on issues affecting decent work. At its substantive session in June-July 2006, ECOSOC adopted a groundbreaking Ministerial Declaration, which specifically requests the entire UN system to mainstream the goals of full and productive employment and decent work for all in their policies, programmes and
It is therefore natural for the ILO to take the lead in the follow-up to the report, which was submitted to its Governing Body and the International Labour Conference (ILC) in 2004. The ILO’s Director-General also submitted his own proposals to the ILC for a strategic response by the ILO to the World Commission’s recommendations, covering some of the key fields of work of the ILO: national policies to address globalization; decent work in global production systems; growth, investment and employment; a socio-economic floor; international migration; the international labour standards system; and the role of tripartism. The Report was widely welcomed by the ILO’s government, employer and worker constituents, and the Director-General’s proposals were broadly endorsed.