UN official welcomes US-Brazilian cooperation to promote labour issues

The head of the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) has welcomed an agreement between Brazil and the United States to promote the cooperation of all States in the global efforts to ensure that people have decent employment and that the rights of workers are respected.

“I am extremely pleased to see that cooperation between two great nations is addressing serious employment and social challenges, including the recovery from the jobs crisis, food and fuel price volatility, and rising social tensions,” said Juan Somavia, the ILO Director-General, in a statement issued over the weekend.

The memorandum of understanding signed by US Ambassador Thomas Shannon to Brazil and Brazil’s Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota at the start of US President Barack Obama’s visit to Brazil sets out a series of guidelines under which both governments will promote activities in areas of the ILO’s mandate in countries selected by mutual agreements.

The guidelines include skills development for decent work opportunities; fundamental principles and rights at work; equality of opportunity and treatment at work; occupational safety and health; and social protection.

“I am a firm believer that the more countries share lessons about what works, the more they can adapt home-grown solutions. Brazil and the US, each with their own wealth of experiences, can provide invaluable assistance to countries seeking to move forward in the path of Decent Work and social justice. The ILO will always be there with a helping hand,” said Mr. Somavia.

“From an ILO perspective, South-South and Trilateral Cooperation harness and multiply the impact of our work. By building on the expertise and experience found in countries at various levels of development, we can exchange key policy practices and improve the outcomes for people and the real economy,” he added.