Brazil and ILO announce new project to foster the Promotion of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work among Latin American and African countries

The new initiative has a total budget of $4 million and is scheduled to begin in March

Press release | 21 March 2023
Brasilia, March 16, 2023 - The Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), of the Ministry of External Relations (MRE), and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Office for Brazil announced this Thursday (16) a new South-South Cooperation (SSC) project to promote the systematization and exchange of experiences between Latin American and African countries in the area of fundamental principles and rights at work, in particular the promotion of health and safety at work and the fight against discrimination and child labour.

The new project entitled "Consolidation of the Brazil-ILO South-South Cooperation Programme for the Promotion of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work" has a total budget of 4 million dollars and will be implemented until December 2026, beginning in March 2023. The initiative is emblematic because it will promote an environment of dialogue between institutions and develop, in a participatory manner, the strategic planning to define the new Programmatic Framework of the Brazil-ILO Partnership for the coming years.

The director of the ABC, Ambassador Ruy Pereira, and the director of the ILO Office for Brazil, Vinícius Pinheiro, announced the beginning of the project during a meeting held at the ABC. According to the director of ABC, "The Brazil-ILO Partnership Program has, since 2009, accumulated successive successes in the decent work agenda with broad impact on cooperating countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. The beginning of this new cooperation project signals the priority of South-South cooperation for the Brazilian foreign policy that, associated with the mechanisms of systematization of good practices of Brazilian cooperating institutions, positions cooperation as a tool to overcome development challenges, promoting solidarity among peoples".

Coordinated jointly by the ABC and the ILO Office for Brazil, the project provides for the systematization, exchange, and adaptation of good Brazilian practices on the subject with the countries involved. The Brazilian government and the ILO will establish missions for prospecting, executing, and monitoring the development of the cooperation activities to be implemented, through projects elaborated in partnership with the same countries.

This new initiative will expand and consolidate the results of the Brazil-ILO South-South Cooperation Programme, and diversify the actors participating in the Program. We understand that it is an excellent opportunity for the promotion of social justice and decent work beyond Brazil's borders," said Pinheiro.

The actions will be aligned with the national development priorities and strategies of Brazil and the participating countries, in addition to being integrated with other initiatives of South-South Cooperation that the Brazilian Government maintains.

Press Contacts

Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) from the Ministry of External Relations (MRE)
Special Press Office (AIG) of the Ministry of External Relations (MRE)
Phone: +55 (61) 2030-6160, 2030-8006 or 2030-8007.
E-mail: imprensa@itamaraty.gov.br

International Labour Organisation (ILO) Office for Brazil
Denise Marinho
Phone: (61) 2106 4625
E-mail: santosd@ilo.org