Intergovernemental Forum on Chemical Safety

Sustainlabour participated as part of the Trade Union Delegation at the Forum VI of the IFCS.
The theme of these forums was “Global Partnerships for Chemical Safety– Contributing to the 2020 Goal”.
This forum is unique not only for integrating different dimensions or problems caused by chemical substances, such as public health, occupational health, environment, but also for its way of working which allows the active participation of any interested party in equal conditions and its decision making process by consensus. Despite their decisions are not binding, it has served to place in the international agenda problems caused by management of dangerous chemicals and initiate political processes in order to reduce the exposition to hazardous substances at a global level.

Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies is a subject growing importance and concerns within Trade Unions as hundreds of nanotechnology applications are already in commercial production despite a huge health and safety lack of information of the potential hazards. Leer más...

Trade Unions at the UN Convention on Climate Change

Four meetings were held in Bonn from 2-13 June, that were linked to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: AWG-KP-5 (Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex 1 Parties / Kyoto Protocol); AWG-LCA-2 (Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the UNFCCC); SBSTA-28 (Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice); and SBI-28 (Subsidiary Body for Implementation).

Trade unions participated as observers, speaking in the plenary sessions of the SBSTA and AWG-LCA-2. A meeting was also held with the Executive Director in which trade unionists expounded the need for a “fair transition”. One important outcome of the AWG-LCA meeting was the official call for trade organizations to make concrete proposals concerning the Bali Action Plan and other specific issues. The discussions and conclusions of these meetings showed interesting opportunities for trade unions to reinforce the inclusion of social and labour dimensions at future meetings as well as in the international negotiation process on climate change. Leer más...

Training of Trainers on Climate Change and Sound Management of Chemicals

The seminar, held in Geneva from 26th to 30th May, was the first activity under the Sustainlabour- UNEP program. We had participants from Trade Unions from Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The Seminar addressed the following purposes:

1. Establishing a working group for the region, who could provide input to subsequent activities and disseminate knowledge to unions of the region.
2. Providing this "working group" with the necessary technical knowledge on issues.
3. Giving the opportunity to representatives from different regions to get to know each other and exchange experiences.
4. Brief on the following activities of the program. This will help to prepare the regional conferences to be hold bwtween 2008 and 2009.

Download presentations on the list below

Session 2: Labour and the Environment
El papel del sindicalismo como actor del desarrollo sostenible, by Joaquin Nieto, Sustainlabour (Spanish only)

Session 3: Climate change mitigation and adaptation, consequences on employment, trade union action
Introduction to Climate Change, by Joaquin Nieto, Sustainlabour
Climate Change and Employment, by Anabella Rosemberg (ITUC)
ITUC Papers on Trade Union Action on Energy, Transportation, Building/Construction and Agriculture
Mitigation of climate change and its relation to employment (in Spanish), Ana Belen Sanchez -CC-OO (Spanish)
Trade Union Action on Climate Change, by Laura Martin Maurillo (Sustainlabour)

Session 4: Sound and sustainable management of chemicals
Introduction to Chemicals Management, by Judith Garcia Carreras (Sustainlabour)
Uso Seguro de Químicos en los Puestos de Trabajo, by Carmen Mancheno, CCOO (Spanish only)
Use of Chemicals in the Workplace – Exposure Reduction Strategies, by Yahya Msangi (Tanzania Plantation Agriculture Workers Union)
Effects of Human Health and Environment by Peter Orris (Occupational Health Service Institute – University of Illinois)
Stakeholder Involvement - Global Chemical Agenda - Evolution andChallenges, by Kaj Madsen (UNEP DTIE Chemicals)
Overview of the Strategic Approach to International Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) , by Hamoudi Shubber (UNEP DTIE Chemicals)

Session 5: Presentation by UNEP DTIE Energy Branch
Energy and Climate change: UNEP and Trade Unions’Role, by Emanuela Menichetti

Session 6: Presentation on Green Jobs
Sustainable Development and Green Jobs: an overview, by Peter Poschen (ILO)

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Asia Pacific Regional Conference

The International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific (ITUC-Asia Pacific) organized the First Regional Conference on Environmental Protection, Sustainable Development and Employment.
This first round of United Nations climate change talks got underway in Bangkok at the end of March, with the tough but successful negotiations in Bali still fresh in everyone’s memory. Parties had agreed at Bali to jointly step up international efforts to combat climate change and get to an agreed outcome in Copenhagen in 2009.

Sustainlabour participated in the Conference, held on 25 and 26 March 2008, which counted with the participation of 41 trade unionists from 18 countries from the region.

More information here. Leer más...

UNEP 9th Global Civil Society Forum (GCSF – 9)

The Ninth Session of the Global Civil Society Forum has been held from 19-22 February 2008. The objective of this meeting is to provide a platform for exchange and consultation on key environmental issue between Major Groups and Civil Society Organization to better address and participate at the UNEP Governing Council.
We welcome the election of Lucien Royer as Chair of the Major Groups Facilitating Committee of the Global Civil Society Forum. Sustainlabour also participated as part of the Facilitating Committee.

More information here.

Click here to download the final report. Leer más...

Climate change training session for the trade union delegation

Sustainlabour and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) organised a training session on climate change, looking at effects on employment and climate change negotiation.
This session aimed at facilitating new Trade Union delegates with better comprehension of an increasingly difficult process of international negotiations on climate change. The seminar was widely attended, and it provided a good space for debating.

For the complete program. Leer más...