A meeting of the Global Compact - United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's initiative that seeks to advance good corporate citizenship and responsible globalization - has announced an historic agreement between employers and trade unions to cooperate in the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS.
The Global Compact convened a policy dialogue on HIV/AIDS in Geneva on Monday and Tuesday, which was attended by more than 100 representatives from business, labour, civil society, academia, government and multilateral organizations, and which focused on the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Code of Practice dealing with HIV/AIDS and work.
At the meeting, the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) - the most representative employers and workers' organizations in the world - announced an agreement to cooperate in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, and they issued a joint statement calling on their affiliates and members around the world to give HIV/AIDS the highest priority.
As part of their joint commitment - "Fighting AIDS Together: A Programme for Future Engagement" - the IOE and ICFTU said they would explore opportunities to identify and develop joint action programmes in partnership with their national members. The agencies stated that their cooperative efforts would be built around the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS.
In addition to promoting common efforts to increase the global adoption of the ILO Code, the two organizations said they would encourage governments in developing and developed countries alike to address the scourge of HIV/AIDS through a comprehensive approach to the pandemic.