Tripartite Forum on Promoting the Tripartite Declaration of Principles
concerning Empresas multinacionales and Social Policy - Geneva March 25-26
March 2002
Views on the Forum
| "The ILO Declaration...is a universal basic reference for concrete
action on corporate social responsibility and for implementing the social
dimension of globalization.”
Ms. Renate Hornung-Draus, Employer Vice-Chairperson of ILO Governing Body
Subcomittee on Empresas multinacionales.
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"These discussions have brought to focus the relevance of the
Declaration and the concept of it being a universal basic reference for
concrete action on corporate social practice." Mr.
Ebrahim Patel, General Secretary of South African Clothing and Textile
Workers' Union, Worker Vice-Chairperson of ILO Governing Body
Subcomittee on Empresas multinacionales.
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| "We have
successfully established the basis for further dialogue and the
partnerships needed to effectively promote and further the aims of the MNE
Declaration.”
Ms. Debra Robinson, Chairperson of ILO Governing Body Subcommittee on
Empresas multinacionales.
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Background
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is constantly shifting in its search for
international investment opportunities, and incentives to attract and retain
investment are increasingly being explored at national and regional levels. The
Tripartite Forum on Promoting the Tripartite Declaration of Principles
Concerning Empresas multinacionales and Social Policy addressed some of the
social and employment dimensions of this situation, by stimulating a process of
ongoing dialogue and exchange of practical experiences on furthering the aims of
the MNE Declaration in the context of international investment today. The
dialogue involves government, business, and trade union actors in home as well
as host countries. The Forum was organized at the request of the ILO Governing
Body (GB.283/MNE/1)
More than forty senior level representatives of governments, and workers and
employers, including their MNE representatives, participated in the Forum,
which was closed to the public. Specialists from several international
organizations, and Office and group secretariat experts also attended. The 1-½
day event was structured around panel discussions in order to provide as broad a
spectrum of opinions as possible on the issues addressed. These panels reviewed
experiences and perspectives on three areas of change that contribute to the
contexts in which MNEs operate:
 Regional
economic and development frameworks; Implementing core labour standards
Vocational
training and retraining in changing markets; Needs and responsibilities of
governments and of enterprises, workers, and their organizations
Maintaining
high standards of safety and health; Sharing industry best practice
The Forum pursued an exchange of experiences and strategies on how to use the
MNE Declaration to facilitate efforts to:
promote
security of employment (direct and indirect) in the context of flexibility,
restructuring and outsourcing;
create
the infrastructure for decent work, including terms and conditions of work, in
the context of contractual business partnerships (e.g., supply and service
chains), and investment incentives (e.g., export processing zones);
foster
effective means of consultation, negotiation, and bargaining in the context of
changing patterns of operation (e.g., linkages) and ownership (privatisation);
secure a common
floor of fundamental principles and rights at work in the context of competition
to attract international investment.
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