Inspiring trip to Vancouver Participating in ITUC 2nd World Congress 17-27 June 2010

 

 

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) conducted its second world congress in Vancouver, Canada on 21-25 June 2010. As trade unionist involving in the labor movement for more than 15 years, I got a golden opportunity to participate as delegate of General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT). And, the trip was supported by UNHCR Nepal office. Let me thanks UNHCR for its kind support to make me possible to attend this historical event.

The main activity of the conference was started from 21st June, 2010. Because of the flight schedule, I arrived in city on 17th and try to maximize the time even having more side meeting with different objectives.

1. Activities relating with ITUC Congress

1.1 Women Meeting

The main event related with trip was ITUC conference. In this regard, the women’s meeting was conducted in the morning from 8 to 9 on 21 June. Gender equality department of ITUC briefed about the gender issues related to conference document. It was good to let everybody know that regarding participation of women has been increased to 40 percent this time from 30 percent previously. The delegate of the congress was also managed based on gender parity as zipper system, in which those union having majority women members should nominate woman as first delegate.

Similarly, the resolution has also been develop even to address the issue of domestic workers under informal economy. It is big steps in the trade union movement to cover arena, where majority of women are being involved.

1.2 Migrant Forum

At 13.30 Pm of June 21, Migrant workers forum was conducted. It was extremely important issue not only being sending country, but also issues to be known to testify whether proposed provision for new constitution in Nepal is relevant.

After hearing the speakers from Nepal as sending country, BWI as global union federation, AFL-CIO as trade union supporting to organize migrant workers in developing countries gave the idea on how trade unions from sending to receiving countries are raising the issues from local to global level. After all, I somehow satisfied with our proposed provision for the new constitution that government should develop proper regulation and mechanism to protect the migrant workers right and proper monitoring to make their earning safe sequentially in right track with trade union movement.

There was floor discussion after presentation of the speakers. The floor intervention was focused on the issues of organizing migrant workers in the receiving countries to protect their rights.

1.3 Congress Inauguration

The congress was formally opened at 16 PM on 21st. In the session, local politician as mayor of the Vancouver city delivered his speech and told that climate change is major challenge in the day to come and green job should be in the top priority to address the issues. He further mentioned that he is dreaming to make Vancouver city as most green city in the world by 2020. It had inspired all the delegate of the congress that how important is the issues of climate change.

In the beginning of the congress two indigenous people had performed their traditional culture, was followed by additional performance covering different parts of the Canada. It was so live and impressive one.

1.4 Congress business

On 22, the policy document of the ITUC named Now the People: From the crisis to global justice was presented by General Secretary of ITUC Guy Ryder and it was followed by delegates’ remark upon this. This process was continued until 24 June Thursday and some 117 delegates expressed their opinion, suggestion and comments on it. Finally, Guy Ryder responded on the issues raised and adopted the report.

Basically, the policy paper has raised the issues of Decent work, Labor market justice and equity, Regulated finance, A sustainable low carbon future, A new development model and Governance of globalization.

Then the resolutions, activities report, financial report were presented and adopted unanimously. Finally, the election was conducted, which was unanimous. Good news is that in the history of international trade union movement, Sharon Burrow has been elected as first women general secretary of ITUC.

Representing South Asian working class, I have been elected as first substitute in the general council of ITUC.

1.5 Issue Based Panel Discussion

In between the plenary discussion upon the report of general secretary, two panel discussions were conducted.

First panel was conducted on 22 June on the issues of From the Crisis... The panelists were Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing director of IMF, Mr. Pascal Lamy, Director General of WTO and Mr. Kari Tapiola, Executive director of ILO.

Second panel was on 23 on the issue of …to Global Justice. The participating panelist were Mr Paul Nyrup Rasmussen, Co-chair of global progressive forum, Ms. Amsatou Sow Sidibe, Professor of law, Cheikh-Anta-Diop University of Senegal and Mr. Kumi Naidoo, Executive director of greenpeace Internaional.

Both debates were quite interesting and educative for the delegates.

2. Meeting with Nepali relating with on going CA process

Besides the ITUC congress, I tried to maximize the visit having side meeting among Nepali, basically to interact and smelled their opinion upon preliminary draft of the new constitution.

1.1 Meeting with NRN-HK

On the way to Vancouver, we were having 10 hours transit in Hong Kong. Maximizing this opportunity, we were having meeting with Non Residential Nepali (NRN) representative in HK including chair of the HK chapter and had small group discussion on the constitution making process and issue of NRN in new constitution. It was good to clarify them on the issues as well as listened their suggestion and comment on it. They were quite happy with the proposed provision, but bit worry about whether constitution could be promulgated within extended time duration.

Before, this meeting it was in my mind that all the Gurkhas are very much in demand of dual citizenship and there will be another round of the discuss on it. After meeting, they may not be fully happy with my presentation. But, the meeting helped a lot to correct my myth. I found the NRN living in Hong Kong are happy with proposed provision of our committee, but worry was that whether constitution will be promulgated within extended time duration.

1.2 Interaction with NRN-NCSBC, Vancouver

Since were in Vancouver two days before starting the congress, we tried to maximize the opportunity having interaction among Nepali living there. The program was organized bay NRN Vancouver and Nepal cultural society of BC (NCSBC). We had very good interaction among more than 40 Nepali on 20th June. It was good opportunity to clarify them about the process of CA and listen their view on the different issues relating with NRN and migrant workers. They were very eager to know more about the position of different parties on debatable issues and possibility to come on consensus.

On behalf of our delegation team including CA member and GEFONT chair Bishnu Rimal and Laxman Basnet from NTUC, tried to clarify on those issues. Finally, all of them express their opinion very clear that declaration of the new constitution to institutionalize the republican Nepal, federalism and proposed provision about fundamental rights and NRN related issues is most important for the moment. Some of the issues can be amended in the process of implementation as well.

It was really good meeting for us to read the mentality and way of thinking of Nepali living outside the country.

1.3 Interaction with Migrant Workers in HK

On the way back again, we had meeting among migrant workers in HK, just maximizing 11 hours transit time. The meeting was jointly organized by Far East Overseas Nepalese Association (FEONA), Nepalese Construction Workers Union and Domestic Workers Union in HK. They raised many issues relating with migrant rights and basic rights of Nepali people in the new constitution as well as the CA process being stacked now.

We, myself and Bishnu Rimal explained once again the almost all the similar issues as Vancouver. Being chair of biggest trade union confederation, GEFONT in the country, Bishnu Rimal focused on how to organize migrant workers and keep in cooperation between trade union in homeland and outside the country as well migrant trade union and local union in the country, where they are working.

It was quite inspiring from the view point of working masses.

1.4 Public library issues

Since, the right to information has been mentioned in the constitution, access to information should be provided to all the people. In this regard, we in the parliament have started to talk about information center and public library expansion up to local level. In this regard, some of the initiation has been taken inside the country and Nepali living outside are also playing supportive role. as part of this process, Nepal Library Foundation (NLF), registered as charity organization is active in Canada since last few year and generating resources to support public library in Nepal.

We met the chairperson of NLF, Naresh Koirala on 18th June and learn more about its work and way to cooperate in the day to come. Next day, on 19th we visited Vancouver Public Library and collected some of the available informative material for reference. It is very good insight for us to strengthen our knowledge and idea about public library.

The discussion was kept continued and finally, we had conference call with the fellow working member Dr. Shiv Gautam from Harvard University in Boston USA, Mr. Naresh Koirala from Vancouver and then me and CA colleague Bishnu Rimal to make cooperation on library work more effective in the day to come. Dr. Shiva is working more on school based e-library project open for community as well.

Finally, we came in conclusion to have meeting among all the organizations and colleagues working on the issues like room to read, read Nepal, valley public library, Nepal library foundation, Help Nepal network etc. and develop some sort of minimum standard to establish public library from local to district and central level and clear distinction between types of library as public, children, school/academic etc. Effectiveness and sustainability is another important issue in this relation.

At the same time, we came into decision to continue the campaign to expand and develop the area and the number of public library to local levels as well as lobbying to policy making body to include the issue in government policy.

I hope this initiation will be highly valuable to institutionalize the democracy in reality.

Besides all these, formal and semi formal meeting, we had opportunity to meet some individual nepali and discussed as well. Some engineers and professors working in the Vancouver city were visited us in the hotel in the evening and break time of the conference and discuss more about the things happening in the country. overall impression of the trip was that all the nepali, no matter where they live are very worried about the country situation and everybody has question that whether constitution will be promulgated by the time of extension.

 

Thanks!

July 4, 2010