Directory of
Economic, Commodity and Development Organizations - table
of contents
INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE
TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU)
Confédération Internationale des Syndicats Libres
(CISL)
Internationaler Bund Freier Gewerkschaften (IBFG)
Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales
Libres (CIOSL)
HEADQUARTERS
Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5B1 Telephone: [32](02)224-0211
B-1210 Brussels Facsimile: [32](02)201-5815/5756
Belgium E-Mail: internetpo@icftu.org
Internet: www.icftu.org
President: ... Fackson SHAMENDA
General Secretary: ... Guy RYDER
Assistant General Secretary: ... Ms. Mamounata CISSÉ
José Olivio MIRANDA OLIVEIRA
ICFTU/GUF Washington Office Telephone: [1](202)463-8573
Suite 425 Facsimile: [1](202)463-8564
1925 K Street, NW E-mail: pbakvis@earthlink.net
Washington, DC 20006
USA
Director: ... Peter BAKVIS
LANGUAGES: English, French, German, Spanish
ESTABLISHMENT AND FUNCTIONS
The International Confederation of Free Trade
Unions (ICFTU) was established at its inaugural Congress
held in London in 1949, and attended by delegates from 53
countries. It is a confederation of national trade union
centres, each of which groups together the trade unions
of that particular country. Today, the ICFTU consists of
231 affiliated organizations in 150 countries and
territories, and counts a membership of 158 million
workers. The ICFTU exists to promote the interests of the
working people throughout the world, to work for
constantly rising living standards, full employment and
social security, and the eradication of poverty. It is
engaged in the fight against oppression, dictatorship,
and all forms of exclusion, inequality and
discrimination, and in efforts to defend fundamental
human and trade union rights. By virtue of its General
Consultative Status with ECOSOC, the ICFTU represents the
international free trade union movement at the United
Nations. It also has consultative status with various
specialized agencies of the UN, and provides
representation in inter-governmental bodies such as the
IMF, the World Bank, and the WTO. In these forums, the
ICFTU puts forward the proposals it has worked out with
and on behalf of affiliated organizations of workers
world-wide, for the promotion of growth with equity, and
the alleviation of unemployment and poverty. The unique
tripartite structure of the ILO gives the ICFTU and
affiliated organizations the opportunity to play an
active role in standard-setting, and the promotion of
good labour standards and industrial relations policy on
the international level, through the Workers' Group of
the ILO Governing Body.
STRUCTURE
The Congress, the supreme
authority of the ICFTU, convenes at least every four
years; the last Congress took place in April 2000 in
Durban, South Africa. It is composed of delegates from
the affiliated trade union organizations. The Congress
elects the General Secretary and an Executive Board of 53
members including five members nominated by the
Women’s Committee and one member representing young
workers.
The Executive Board meets at
least once a year, and directs the activities of the
Confederation between Congresses. It elects the President
and Vice-Presidents of the ICFTU. The General Secretary
runs the secretariat headquartered in Brussels. The ICFTU
has established regional organizations as follows: (i)
The Asian and Pacific Regional Organization (APRO) based
in Singapore; (ii) The African Regional Organization
(AFRO) based in Nairobi; and (iii) The Inter-American
Regional Organization (ORIT) based in Caracas.
The ICFTU maintains close relations with the
Global Union Federations (GUF), which groups together
national unions from a particular trade or industry, and
often speaks on their behalf in inter-governmental
bodies. The ICFTU works closely with the Trade Union
Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD. The ICFTU has two
permanent offices in Geneva and in New York, and together
with the GUF, also runs an office in Washington, DC.
Special committees established by the Executive
Board are: (1) Steering Committee; (2) Economic and
Social Committee; (3) Human and Trade Union Rights
Committee; (4) Peace, Security and Disarmament Committee;
(5) Women's Committee; and (6) Youth Committee. In
addition, the ICFTU organizes a number of working groups
and task forces in cooperation with the ITS, TUAC and
affiliates. These are: the Occupational Health, Safety,
and the Environment Working Party; a number of informal
Task Forces (e.g., on child labor, on trade, investment
and labor standards, and on international co-operation on
the investment of workers' capital) and a Trade Union
Development Co-operation Clearing House.
Trade Union World (monthly magazine);
Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union
Rights (annual report); ICFTU
On-Line (daily electronic news bulletin). The
ICFTU also publishes various occasional papers (e.g.,
Annual Statements to the IMF/World Bank Board of
Governors, reports on respect for
internationally-recognized core labor standards in
countries around the world) and books, such as
A Trade Union Guide to Globalisation (2002), ICFTU Guide to PRSPs (2001), Globalising Social Justice (2000), Building
Workers’ Human Rights into the World Trading System
(1999) and No Time to Play (Child
Labour). A list of all ICFTU publications may be obtained
from the Department of Press and Publications.
UPDATED: June 26, 2003
Directory of
Economic, Commodity and Development Organizations - table
of contents
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