> Date: Sun, 31 Aug 1997 16:17:50 -0700 > Reply-To: Forum on Labor in the Global Economy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sender: Forum on Labor in the Global Economy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > From: Larry Kuehn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Workers rights and democratic development--People's Summit > > International Forum: > Workers Rights & Democratic Development > > The Canadian Labour Congress and the International Centre for Human Rights > and Democratic Development will organize a labour forum within the > framework of the 1997 People's Summit on APEC. The Forum will take place > in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 20-21, 1997. The objective of > the Forum is to strengthen collaboration between trade unions, > non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and labour support groups on the > issues of labour rights and human rights. The Forum is comprised of two > main components, The Tribunal on Workers Human Rights and the Conference on > Workers' Human Rights & Democratic Development. Guests and speakers > include: (* denotes confirmed participant) > > Luis Anderson - trade union leader > Warren Allmand* - human rights activist > P.N. Bhagwati - supreme court justice > Edward Broadbent* - human rights advocate > Irene Fernandez* - human rights advocate > Han Dongfang - trade unionist > Pharis Harvey* - labour activist > Ranee Hassarungsee* - women's rights advocate > Charles Kernaghan - labour activist > Apo Leung - labour activist > =46rancisco Sionel Jos=C8* - author > Yayori Matsui* - women's rights advocate > Pierre San=C8* - human rights advocate > Bob White* - trade union leader > > > THE TRIBUNAL ON WORKERS HUMAN RIGHTS (Open Event) > November 20, 1997 > 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. > Plaza of Nations, Vancouver > > Six workers from six different APEC countries will testify before a panel > of internationally renowned judges and the assembled delegates to the > Peoples' Summit. The testimonies will emphasize the individual and > collective experiences of workers in the context of the global economy and > will focus on the following issues: freedom of association and the right > to collective bargaining; migrant workers rights; workers in free trade > zones; child labour; discrimination against women; forced labour. > > To receive a conference registration kit: > Margaret Blamey, The Canadian Labour Congress, 1176-8th Avenue, New > Westminster, B.C., Canada V3M 2R6, Tel: 604-524-0392, Fax: 604-524-5165, > email <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, or > Carole Samdup, International Centre for Human Rights & Democratic > Development, 63 de Br=C8soles, Montr=C8al, Qu=C8bec > Canada H2Y 1V7, Tel: 514-283-6073, Fax: 514-283-3792, email: > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > THE CONFERENCE ON WORKERS HUMAN RIGHTS > AND DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT (By Registration ONLY) > November 21, 1997 > 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. > Landmark Hotel , Vancouver > > In order to develop a better understanding of the relationship between > trade union rights and democratic development, the conference delegates > will exchange strategies for improving respect for workers' rights, and > seek to improve coordination of future initiatives. > > 9:00 - 9:45: Opening Plenary > A brief plenary will precede a series of workshops. The plenary will > introduce the context in which the workshop issues will be addressed, that > is; an overview of findings at previous APEC Labour Forums in Kyoto and > Manila, a briefing on developments within the Asia-Pacific Labour Network, > and an analysis of the relationship between human rights and democratic > development. Copies of the judges recommendations from the Workers' > Tribunal will be circulated to the delegates during the plenary. > > 10:00 - 3:30: Simultaneous Workshops: > > * Making Transnational Corporations Accountable: Will examine such > issues as codes of conduct, monitoring, consumer campaigns, government > regulatory mechanisms and the practices of corporations in the world today. > > * Trade Unions and Democratic Development: Will look at the role of trade > unions in fighting for democracy and how repression of trade unions is an > assault on democracy. > > * Organizing Experiences in the Informal Economy or the Challenge of > Subcontracting: Will focus largely on women who are found at the end of > the subcontracting chain in both developed and developing countries > including domestic workers, agricultural labourers, and migrant workers. > > * The International Trade Union Movement and Human Rights Groups Working > Together: How can we collaborate, take part in joint initiatives and > understand each others' mandates, commonalities and differences? Can the > Asia-Pacific Labour Network and the broader NGO community develop specific > joint initiatives for APEC in 1998? > > * International Trade Agreements and Labour Rights: Will compare and > analyse different trade agreements and the politics of protecting labour > rights. What networking strategies have been successful? What are the > limitations and strengths of social clauses? > > * Migrant Workers: The workshop will focus on issues related to the > re-integration of migrant workers, and discuss the regional and > international efforts to have APEC countries ratify the UN Convention on > Migrant Workers. > > * Workers North and South: What are our Common Interests? Will explore > issues of protectionism and basic human rights. Does globalization > necessarily entail a deterioration of workers rights in wealthy countries? > What relationship have Mexican and Chilean workers established with > Canadian and American workers in the context of NAFTA? > > 3:30 - 4:30: Closing Plenary > > The Labour Forum will conclude with a brief plenary which will establish a > process for summarizing and distributing its findings. The concluding > plenary will also determine a process for ongoing collaboration. > > Call for Papers: To submit a paper on one of the conference topics, > please forward a diskette (WP5.1 or 6.0) to ICHRDD prior to October 15, > 1997. > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > International Forum: > The Relationship Between Workers Rights & Democratic Development > > c/o Canadian Labour Congress, 1176-8th Ave., > New Westminster, BC, Canada, V3M 2R6 > phone: 604-524-0391 fax: 604-524-1531 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
