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Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: fundamental shift in the policy approach needed, say trade unions

14/09/2010

The ten year review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will take place in New York next week during a period of serious uncertainty and attempt to craft a path towards accelerating progress towards full MDG achievement by 2015.  The outlook is stark as the recent crises have threatened to undermine any achievements made, especially in developing countries.

Prior to the onset of the global crises trade unions had expressed serious concerns about the mixed results of progress towards attaining the MDGs. Rising unemployment and increasing income inequality are among the most telling signs that the world is not on track to meet the MDGs by 2015.  It is on this basis that trade unions will be calling for a fundamental shift in the policy approach that has thus far failed to achieve the targets set out a decade ago.

There will be an active and strong trade union presence during the summit, led by ITUC General Secretary, Sharan Burrow, who will be participating in a high level roundtable discussion on the theme of Addressing emerging issues and evolving approaches.

Trade unions will be calling for the implementation of the ILO Global Jobs Pact as a policy framework for achieving MDG1, as well as the provision of a universal social protection floor as part of the Decent Work Agenda.

Also, while trade unions strongly support the promotion of MDG 1, sub-target 1B, which aims “to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people” there is a need for better monitoring of the achievement of decent work objectives through the indicators developed.

Trade unions will also be advocating for a Financial Transactions Tax (FTT) as a new resource for financing development, for financing of mitigation and adaptation measures to address climate change, for generating revenues needed to reduce government budget deficits and debts resulting from the crisis and for restricting financial market speculation.

Other trade union messages will include investing in large-scale environmentally-friendly and climate-resilient infrastructure and the strengthening of consultative mechanisms to ensure the continued engagement of trade union in the follow-up and implementation of agreements made to fully achieve the MDGs by 2015.

For more information on the MDG summit including the ITUC statement please visit the links below