41875 JOINT REPORT ON MEETINGS BETWEEN THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION MOVEMENT (GLOBAL UNIONS AND WCL) AND THE IMF AND WORLD BANK 21-23 October 2002, Washington Summary An international delegation of 89 trade union leaders, of whom 36 were the president or general secretary of their organization (see list attached), took part in three days of meetings with the heads, executive directors and various staff member of the IMF and World Bank. A number of follow-up steps were agreed to including tracking and encouraging trade union involvement in national PRSP processes; technical meetings on pension reform and labour market reform; and further exploration of joint work between the Bank and unions to combat HIV/AIDS. The Bank also offered to have 3 ­ 4 trade union representatives seconded to the World Bank for a few months to work jointly with Bank staff on issues or projects to be determined . Trade union inputs to future IMF policy developments, such as design of a new debt restructuring mechanism and measures to limit the negative impact of sudden changes in international capital flows were welcomed. Meeting with President of World Bank A meeting with James Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank, opened the proceedings. In opening statements on the behalf of the trade union delegation, Guy Ryder of the ICFTU and Willy Thys of the WCL spoke of the need to push some of the Bank's positive policy initiatives "through the system," and focus on outcomes for workers, citing the particular cases of core labour standards (CLS) and civil society participation in PRSPs, debt relief, and provision of services. Other trade unionists expressed agreement with the Bank's poverty reduction objective, but stated that Bank policy advice on social security and labour market flexibility have left growing number of workers without adequate social protection. Mr. Wolfensohn stated that he agreed with the emphasis on outcomes, and noted that that there has been real, measurable progress. On PRSPs, he suggested looking at trade union participation on a country-by-country basis and seeing where intervention was needed and by whom. The Bank is no longer dogmatic on the question of privatization, he said, and adopting an uninformed and extremely critical position of the Bank was not helpful. The Bank promotes social justice and human rights through its work on equality, education, health, and labour rights. He felt that unions and the Bank should be allies on most questions offered to have 3 or 4 trade unionists come to work at the Bank for short periods, financed by his President's Contingency Fund. The trade union leaders agreed with Mr. Wolfensohn's suggestions to work jointly with the Bank on certain specific issues. IMF/World Bank country-level consultations with trade unions Representatives of the IMF and World Bank presented information on the increasing frequency of consultations with trade unions carried out by the institutions on a country level. Reaching out to unions has been accompanied by greater disclosure of information and more training of staff on trade unions, the Bank speaker noted. The IMF has invited staff missions carrying out Article IV consultations to try to meet with unions and their latest survey shows that 69% of missions do so up from 63% in the previous year. The majority of IMF staff found the contacts with unions to be useful though most stated that it did not have an impact the Fund's policy advice. Unions acknowledged increased contacts from the IFIs, but noted recent cases of major structural loans in their countries on which they were not consulted. Unions also complained that IFI representatives seemed more interested in informing them about IFI programs than in listening to trade union proposals. They made specific suggestions for improving the quality of consultations. Meeting with IMF and World Bank Executive Directors Twenty-three Executive Directors (EDs) or their substitutes attended a two-hour meeting with the trade union delegation. In brief opening statements, Mr. Ryder and Mr. Thys asked whether the EDs agreed with the view that there is a governance deficit at the IFIs. They also shared their observations that progress in IFI rhetoric often is not reflected in practice on the ground, and that the IFIs tend to offer standard remedies to problems that may differ greatly from country to country. Mr. Deutscher of Germany agreed that there is a lag between progress in policy and implementation on a country level. On an issues like PRSPs, where unions have complained about not being involved, the IFIs often lack information as to whether or not the unions have been invited. On the subject of CLS, he said that there was increasing recognition that these standards do not hinder but rather support the development process. The Bank's board needs to engage in a discussion on how the Bank could do more to promote the CLS. Mr. Kiekens of Belgium underlined the progress he saw as having taken place at the IMF over the past decade, for example in the Fund's attitude to social spending. Trade unions have played an important role in getting the Fund to take on the social dimension and can continue to this, for example in influencing the content of PRSPs. The IMF has not introduced CLS into conditionality; however it has discretely but effectively pressured some governments to respect the CLS. Other EDs added further comments regarding the IFIs' support for the CLS and the efforts to reform the institutions, and on the fact that there has been a coming together of the IFIs and the UN after the Financing for Development conference in Monterrey earlier this year. Explanations were also given on the specific characteristics of the IMF loan recently granted to Brazil. Several trade union leaders spoke, insisting on the importance that IFI practices be consistent with the CLS so as to achieve a more equal distribution of income and for preventing labour abuses in World Bank-financed projects. It was specified that unions are not asking that the IFIs take on the role of monitoring the 2 application of the CLS, but rather that they properly interact with the ILO when working on labour issues, such as when the World Bank becomes involved in labour market reforms. Others union speakers mentioned that privatization has actually fostered corruption in their countries, and an Argentine trade union leader questioned why the IMF is demanding further austerity as a condition for restarting lending when there are such high levels of unemployment and poverty. Some other speakers mentioned the impact of the important debt burden that remains in Africa despite the HIPC programme. Exchanges continued on a bilateral level during the reception which followed the meeting. Welcome and introductions for World Bank meetings Eckhard Deutscher, World Bank ED for Germany, opened the day of proceedings at the World Bank (22 October) by inviting trade union leaders to take up the new opportunities offered by the Bank's recognition of the need for strong civil society participation in designing inclusive development programmes. He cited his own experience with the labour movement to emphasize the valuable role unions can assume. Mr. Ryder and Mr. Thys responded briefly, emphasizing their desire for Bank to go beyond verbal commitments and make concrete gestures in support of CLS and dialogue on privatization and social security reform. World Bank Managing Director Mamphela Ramphele welcomed the group, noting the unprecedented size and calibre of the trade union delegation. As a South African, she was very aware of the positive role that trade unions can play in shaping inclusive development plans. The Bank hoped that the dialogue with unions would not only advance understanding of the other parties' concerns, but also identify new areas of cooperation, such as in health care and education, where trade union members could help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Update on World Bank engagement with trade union organizations The head of the Bank's labour market team explained that a framework for regular enhanced dialogue between unions and the IFIs that had been agreed to in February 2002 by the IMF, World Bank, Global Unions (ICFTU, GUFs, TUAC) and WCL. Agreed terms include: (a) high-level meetings once every two years; (b) thematic meeting as the need arises but at least once a year; and (c) interim meetings to ensure follow-up on commitments made. Joint reports would be agreed upon by both the IFIs and the unions after each event. Other forms of dialogue, especially on a country level, are not precluded by this framework. The Washington representative of Global Unions followed with a brief progress report on items agreed to at the last high-level meetings of October 2000: capacity building for trade unions engaged in PRSPs, where a first joint seminar would take place in December 2002; joint work to combat HIV/AIDS, which had not yet taken place; and 3 on privatization, where a Bank-GUF seminar had taken place in July 2002; and CLS, in which progress has been made but more could be done in the area of policy advice and procurement guidelines. The WCL's Washington representative added comments on the Bank's insufficient progress on CLS and trade union participation in PRSPs; on the request that unions be invited to the IFIs' biannual meetings; and on the need for additional resources for training of trade unions. In the brief discussion that followed trade union leaders asked questions about World Bank support for unions' HIV/AIDS projects and on greater support for country-level dialogue on World Bank programmes. . Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) Representatives of the IMF and World Bank made presentations on the update of the PRSP process since a review of the process took place in early 2002. The IMF representative agreed with recent assessments by the unions regarding low levels of trade union participation, the lack of focus on labour issues, and weaknesses in formulating alternative macroeconomic policies. The IFIs have responded to these concerns by including descriptions of the participatory processes in the Joint Staff Assessments of PRSPs, encouraging research on sustainable long-term growth, and strengthening poverty and social impact analyses. The World Bank representative gave further information on how the IFIs were trying to help countries institutionalize the participatory process; open up discussions with civil society on macroeconomic frameworks; carry out poverty and social impact analyses of policy options; harmonize budget planning and management with the PRSP; and introduce regular monitoring of poverty. Trade union representatives spoke of various weaknesses they saw in the PRSP process as currently carried out. These include the fact that unions sometimes cannot participate in the PRSP process because of restrictions placed on the freedom of association; the lack of attention devoted to redistribution as well as growth; and problems posed by WB conditionality. Others raised concerns that governments were self-censoring based on their perception of what the IFIs would find acceptable. Some trade union speakers found PRSP consultations perfunctory and many were disappointed with the policies governments put forward in PRSPs, despite opposition expressed during consultations. Trade union leaders explained how unions directly combat poverty by helping organize workers in the so-called informal economy, rural workers and the unemployed and by supporting land reform. Another speaker emphasized the importance of designing employment-intensive development plans so as to ensure the sustainability of poverty reduction strategies and suggested more joint work on PRSPs with the ILO. Several unionists underlined the importance of CLS in helping the poor see an improvement of their income. In their responses, the IMF and World Bank representatives emphasized that the PRSP process is evolving. Improved participation, both in breadth by involving more trade unions and in depth by including macroeconomic issues, is very important. They also challenged the union movement to present specific policy alternatives, 4 acknowledging that lack of capacity plays a role and that IFIs could be involved in building such capacity. World Bank and pension reform The head of the World Bank's social protection unit presented the Bank's current approach regarding old-age pension (social security) reform, noting that the Bank is involved in pension reform only at the request of the government and usually when pension schemes have become fiscally unsustainable and inadequate in terms of coverage and benefits. Based on its extensive experience in pension reform, the Bank typically recommends that countries establish a multi-pillar pension system which include a pre- funded component. However, the Bank makes no attempt to push one specific model of reform and is eager to have trade unions involved in reforms. Trade union representatives raised various concerns with the Bank's approach, including: deficiencies of capital markets which restricted investment opportunities for the privatized funds; the failure of the privatized schemes to improve pension coverage and protect workers who are currently without protection; and the very high administrative costs associated with the new privatized funds as compared to the comprehensive state-run schemes. In response, the World Bank representative stated that the Bank has developed a more flexible approach and was anxious to have further exchanges with the labour movement on this subject. Core labour standards in World Bank operations In discussing the Bank's work on CLS the Vice President for Operations emphasized that the Bank's general approach is to limit conditionality and focus on the government's priorities. The Bank is finalizing a study on labour standards as part of environmentally and socially responsible procurement practices; trade union input will be sought when the study is released. A representative of the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers expressed disappointment with the lack of progress by the Bank, noting that his federation had been discussing this issue with the Bank for five years. He also noted that the Bank had not taken his suggestion to to have joint Bank- union inspection of the Chad-Cameroon pipeline project or assisted in creating a dialogue between contractors and unions in the project. Other trade union speakers gave further examples of Bank-funded projects where CLS were violated and spoke of how important the CLS were in ensuring that the benefits of growth are widely shared. Some argued that Bank involvement in labour market reforms constituted de facto recommendations to deny the CLS. They offered ideas on how the Bank could more actively promote the CLS: more systematic joint work with the ILO; the application of "negative conditionality" by banning loans in situations of repeated violations of CLS; assessments of CLS in all Country Assistance Strategies (CAS); and promoting reference to CLS in PRSPs. In response, the World Bank 5 representatives pointed to progress on the issue of CLS in the past five years, acknowledging that the Bank could be doing more to promote the inclusion of CLS in CAS and PRSPs. The Bank plans to continue working closely with the ILO on this matter and is interested in obtaining details about countries where the Bank appeared to be recommending that countries not abide by CLS. Privatization and enterprise restructuring The general secretaries of the International Transport Workers' Federation and Public Services International made opening presentations on behalf of the trade union delegation. They spoke of the limited results of PERL-NET (Public Enterprise Restructuring and Labour Network) initiated by the Bank and the two federations in 1999, and which culminated with a two-day session in July. The lack of resources allocated by the Bank to the process was one problem, but another was the ideological predisposition to privatization they felt persists in some sections of the Bank. The recently adopted Private Sector Development Strategy was an illustration of this bias, they felt. The general secretary of the International Chemical, Energy and Mineworkers Federation contrasted the lack of serious engagement of unions on privatization questions with the serious way in which the Bank did so in the Extractive Industries Review process. Other trade union speakers gave examples of how privatization has led to many workers losing their jobs without any form of compensation and to increased costs of basic services which are disproportionately assumed by low-income households. The Director of the Bank's Private Sector Development sector responded, saying that the Bank seeks the entry of new partners when services are poor and coverage is low. He warned against viewing the situation as a false dichotomy between Big Public and Big Private suppliers, and pointed to small scale providers such as NGOs and small businesses as encouraging possibilities. Most poor people do not benefit from public services but pay for very costly essential services delivered by private providers, he said. The Bank's aim was to help upgrade these services. However with regards to services provided in monopoly situations, the Bank believed that all options should be open. Conclusions with World Bank Vice-president Jo Ritzen made a concluding presentation on behalf of the Bank, starting with an attempt to define some of the common ground that unions and the Bank share. Both parties endorse the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), both are in favour of employment creation and poverty reduction, and both believe that economic growth is necessary but not sufficient. Mr. Ritzen said that the Bank supports the promotion of CLS but pointed out that the Bank Board of Directors would need to discuss further policy actions; the unions should substantiate the kind of arguments presented by Werner Sengenberger (during a lunch-time presentation of an FES paper on the impact of international labour standards) to convince governments that CLS are pro- 6 development. Mr. Ritzen proposed the following items for co-operation between the Bank and the international trade union movement: 1. Secondments - An additional 3 to 4 trade unionists could be seconded to the Bank for 3 ­ 4 months each, preferably to work on themes rated to the MDGs. 2. PRSPs - Developing a scorecard for union participation in PRSPs. Work together on capacity building of unions engaged in the PRS process, starting with a seminar in December 2002. 3. Technical Meetings between Bank staff and union representatives were proposed on pension reform, suggested for Spring 2003, and labor market reform to be held later in the year. 4. HIV/AIDS - Briefings for trade unions on accessing MAP funds in Africa He added that options for continued dialogue and joint work on privatization should be explored. Additionally, the Bank welcomed trade union involvement and support in helping countries carrying out social sector reforms and continued input on upcoming WDR on service delivery. In their closing statements, Mr. Ryder and Mr. Thys stated that they agreed with many of the possible areas of joint work with the Bank. They also pushed the Bank to demonstrate what it was doing to promote CLS, given the rejection of conditionality and slow progress on procurement. They agreed with the idea of seconding trade unionists to work more closely with the Bank. They also welcomed the proposed topics for technical meetings; as well as the follow-up meeting on HIV/AIDS, In his closing words, Mr. Deutscher promised that he would be closely following PRSPs submitted to the board to ensure that unions have been properly invited to be involved. Meeting with Managing Director of IMF After being introduced by Willy Kiekens, the IMF ED from Belgium, the Managing Director of the IMF Horst Köhler briefed participants about his recent visit to the ILO's World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalization and his contacts with trade unions during his recent trip to North Africa. He indicated that these meetings were indicative of the importance that he attaches to the social dimension in achieving stability and growth and to the regular consultations that should take place between staff and trade union representatives during IMF country missions. He then discussed the main downside risks for the global economic recovery and the key reforms underway in the Fund. Some of the areas of reforms he mentioned include the initiative to put in place a Sovereign Debt Restructuring Mechanism (SDRM), efforts to streamline Fund conditionality and promoting transparency and openness both within the Fund and with all its membership. He commented about the Fund as an institution open to learning from its dialogue with broad civil society and well committed to reforms. Mr. Ryder and Mr. Thys in their response emphasized the impact of the downside risks to the global economy on the working men and women and were encouraged by the ongoing dialogue with ILO Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization. They noted that the 7 IMF was deeply involved in countries currently in serious difficulty, such as Argentina, and that it should also help improve social peace and restore confidence in these countries. Other trade union leaders asked questions about the Fund's commitment to more institutionalized dialogue with trade unions, the "streamlining of conditionality" process, the IMF's position of the European Stability and Growth Pact, and the enormous challenge to development posed by HIV/AIDS, and the IMF's current position on the situation of Argentina. Mr. Köhler addressed many of the points raised. He spoke of the necessity for industrialized countries to make greater commitments to world development by changing their agricultural policies and delivering on the objective of increasing official development assistance to 0.7% of GDP. He indicated that IMF advised European countries that the stability pact was an appropriate policy decision in view of the global economic situation at the time in which it was established, but that the Pact could be reviewed in light of changing circumstances. On the question of Argentina, he stated that the problems of the country are deeply rooted, and that the government should recognize the problems caused when it allowed fiscal deficits to get out of control. He recognized that the use of privatization as a fiscal instrument is not appropriate and that converting public monopolies to private ones can create serious distortion if measures are not taken to ensure competition. Mr. Köhler stated his deep concern about the economic situation in Argentina, and mentioned that the IMF remains fully committed to assisting the authorities address their present economic and social problems. The IMF had adopted a more flexible policy on capital account liberalization because rapid capital inflows could do enormous damage if he proper regulatory and supervisory capacity are not in place. On the matter of IMF dialogue with unions, Mr. Köhler stated that IMF missions are urged to meet with unions. It would be difficult to institutionalize dialogue on the international level beyond the framework that has already been put in place. The IMF's SDRM initiative and reform of the international financial architecture The head of the Policy Development and Review Department explained the Fund's position towards resolving unsustainable debt crises as being a two-track approach: the inclusion of collective action clauses in government bonds and the development of a Sovereign Debt Restructuring Mechanism (SDRM). He mentioned that the SDRM is very different from a bankruptcy procedure and does not involve an independent arbitrator. Trade union representatives explained why debt burdens have become such a major obstacle to development, for example in Latin America, and how workers have had to assume much of the cost. Unions have welcomed the debate launched with the SDRM initiative. However they believe that countries should be able to decide to initiate a standstill process without requiring IMF approval; that all debt, including that of the IMF and World Bank should be covered; that an independent arbitration panel named by the debtor country and creditors determine a sustainable level of debt; and that the process be open and transparent, meaning that civil society representatives have a chance to be heard. In his reply, the IMF representative stressed that the IMF provides resources that relax the strain on governments and enables levels of 8 social expenditure that would not otherwise be sustainable. He noted that a preferred creditor status is therefore central to this process, as it is in domestic insolvency regimes. With regard to the role of the Fund, he stressed that the revised SDRM framework does not anticipate a major role for the Fund in initiation, negotiations or arbitration; moreover, there is no requirement for a Fund program to be in place unless requested by the country. Finally he indicated that the Fund will continue to put its proposal in the public domain so as to give the international community a more fully articulated operational design of a mechanism sometime over the next few months. On the reform of the international architecture, the IMF representative explained how the lessons from various crises continued to shape the Fund's thinking about the reform of the international financial architecture. He then provided a progress report on the various crisis prevention initiatives. In particular, he discussed the Fund's efforts to improve surveillance of countries, strengthen financial sector surveillance, improve transparency and encourage countries to adopt international standards and codes. He stressed that further work was still needed to strengthen standards in corporate governance and accounting, particularly in the major industrial countries. Trade union speakers noted that the Fund seemed to have moved towards union positions on questions like debt rescheduling, capital controls and transparency and should perhaps not be so dismissive of the Tobin Tax. The IMF representative indicated that the Fund had adopted a more flexible policy towards controls on international capital flows. He also stated that the lack of support for a Tobin tax approach is on the grounds that it would not work to reduce the instability of flows to emerging markets. Others asked whether the Fund recognized that the emphasis on export-led growth may lead to international financial instability, and what the Fund what doing with regards to offshore tax shelters. The IMF representative stated that export-led growth is necessary in view of small developing countries inability to attain high levels of growth without recourse to trade. Collaboration between the IFIs and the UN Representatives of the IMF and World Bank outlined the various existing mechanisms for Fund's and Bank's interaction with UN specialized agencies, including the ILO through the Chief Executive Board (CEB), ECOSOC, the Development Committee and the IMFC). They also explained how the momentum generated by the conferences in Doha, Monterrey, and Johannesburg, is now leading to a closer cooperation between the UN and the IFIs through existing mechanisms. In particular they cited Monterrey as an example of effective multi-level cooperation in which the Fund and Bank efforts focused on debt relief and capacity building. Two trade union representatives responded by underlining the governance deficit, whereby world governments adopted major targets in successive UN conferences, but found little cooperation from the IFIs for achieving them. Perhaps this is due in part to the particular administrative structures of the IFIs where the developing countries see themselves not as policy makers but as clients. In this regard, they were supportive of the creation of a Global Economic and Social Council to oversee international interaction of the different institutions. In a brief final response the IMF representative stated that discussion about 9 appropriate global structures is understandable, but that the main emphasis in the period ahead should be for each institution to focus on its areas of interest and responsibilities so that progress can be made towards the MDG targets. Conclusions with IMF In concluding remarks, Mr. Ryder and Mr. Thys noted the global governance problems that existed and called on the IMF to build greater coherence. Although the managing director stated that the IMF was open to change and the more pragmatic attitude towards measures such capital controls represented a welcome development, there was still much emphasis on traditional free-market policies in developing countries. They called on the IMF to identify specific outcomes regarding concerns of trade unions, such as the IMF's endorsement of the CLS, and, to achieve these, use the mechanism for regular enhanced dialogue that had been put in place between the international trade union movement and the IFIs. The IMF representative stated that the IMF welcomed more frequent dialogue with trade unions on both the national and international level. Other meetings After the conclusion of the meetings with the IMF, several separate meetings on different topics took place between trade union leaders and the IFIs. They included a consultation by the World Bank concerning the World Development Report 2003-04 on "Making Services Work for Poor People"; a special session on HIPC, NEPAD and requirements for sustainable development in Africa; a meeting on the theme of market access; and some meetings on specific countries involving trade union leaders and representatives of the Bank and the Fund. 10 Meetings with the IMF and the World Bank Washington, 21-23 October 2002 TRADE UNION DELEGATION Country Name Title / Organization Argentina Rodolfo Daer General Secretary Carlos Tomada Economic Advisor Confederación General del Trabajo de la República Argentina (CGT) Víctor Raúl Huerta General Secretary Juan Carlos Schmid Deputy General Secretary Consejo Coordinador Argentino Sindical (CCAS) Australia Sharon Burrow President, Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Bangladesh Mukhlesur Rahman President Bangladesh Sanjukta Sramic Federation (BSSF) Belgium Ronald Janssen Expert,Confédération des syndicats chrétiens (CSC) Bénin Guillaume Attigbé General Secretary Centrale syndicale autonome du Bénin (CSA) President, ICFTU-AFRO Brazil Ednalva Bezerra President, Women's Committee Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT) Vice-President, ORIT Laerte Teixeira da Costa President Central Autónoma dos Trabalhadores (CAT) Canada Pierre Laliberté Senior Economist Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Vincent Dagenais Director, International Affairs Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) Chile Ana Maria Muñoz National Executive Committee Member Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) Colombia Julio Roberto Gomes Secretary General Confederación General de Trabajadores Democráticos (CGTD) Côte d'Ivoire Mariatou Coulibaly Secretary for International Relations Union générale des travailleurs de la Côte d'Ivoire (UGTCI) Basile Mahan Gahé President ,Confédération des syndicats libres de Côte d'Ivoire "Dignité, President, World Confederation of Labour Denmark Per Bo Deputy General Secretary, Danish Trade Union Council for International Development (LO/FTF Council) France Huguette Brunel Director of European and International Affairs Confédération française démocratique du travail 11 (CFDT) René Valladon Secretary for International Relations Confédération générale du travail-Force Ouvrière (FO) Germany Michael Sommer President Horst Mund International Department Hans-Jürgen Alt Director, Press Department Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund (DGB) Great Britain Ian Brinkley Chief Economist, Trades Union Congress (TUC) Guyana Lincoln Lewis, Secretary General, Guyana Trades Union Congress (TUC), President, Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) Honduras Daniel Durón General Secretary, Central General de Trabajadores (CGT) Indonesia Muchtar Pakpahan President Serikat Buruh Sejahtera Indonesia (SBSI) Italy Marina Ricciardelli International Affairs Representative Italian Confederation of Trade Unions (CISL) Japan Shigeru Nakajima Vice-President Ando Akihiro International Department Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO) Korea Jae-Soub Yu Vice President Eunice Baek Interpreter Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) Malaysia G. Rajasekaran Secretary General Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) Montenegro Dragan Djuric International Secretary Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Montenegro (SSSCG) Netherlands Margreet Vrieling International Department Christelijk National Vakverbond (CNV) Nigeria Adams Oshiomhole President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Norway Roar Flåthen Vice-President Jan Erik Støstad Economist Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO-Norway) Pakistan M. Zahoor Awan Secretary General All Pakistan Federation of Labour (APFOL) Peru Betty Cortéz Benitez Head of Women's Committee Confederación Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) Philippines Alejandro Villaviza Vice-President Carmen Solinap Chairperson, Development Action for Women Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Nicetas Lucero Secretary General Brotherhood of Asian Trade Unionists (BATU) 12 Romania Dumitru Costin President Steluta Enache Director, Department of Economics National Trade Union Bloc (BNS) Bogdan Hossu President, CNS Cartel Alfa Russia Mickhail V. Shmakov President Evegeny Sidorov Secretary Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR) South Africa Henry Hendricks Executive Director National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) Spain Juan Carlos Jiménez Coordinator, International Policy Department Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CC.OO) Swaziland Jan Sithole General Secretary Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SWTU) Sweden Wanja Lundby-Wedin General Secretary Lena Westerlund Economist Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO-Sweden) Togo Adrien Akouete Secretary General Democratic Organisation of African Workers Trade Unions (DOAWTU) United States John Sweeney President Jerry Zellhoefer European Representative Barbara Shailor Director of International Affairs Thea Lee Assistant Director for International Economic Policy American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Marcia Johnson Blanco Expert National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees (NAPFE) Venezuela Eduardo Garcia Secretary General Central Latinoamericana de Trabajadores (CLAT) Zimbabwe Tandiwe Munyanyi Head of Young Workers Department Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) Guy Ryder General Secretary, ICFTU James Howard Director, Employment and Labour Standards, ICFTU Peter Bakvis Director, Global Unions - Washington Office ICFTU Regional Organizations Andrew Kailembo General Secretary African Regional Organization (ICFTU-AFRO) 13 Sabur Ghayur Director, Institutional and External Relations Asia and Pacific Regional Organization (ICFTU-APRO) Luis Anderson General Secretary Victor Báez Assistant General Secretary Organización Regional Interamericana de Trabajadores (ICFTU-ORIT) Global Union Federations Fred Higgs General Secretary International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Union (ICEM) Élie Jouen Deputy General Secretary, Education International (EI) Marion Hellmann Deputy General Secretary Gerardo Martinez Vice-President for Latin America International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (IFBWW) Peter Unterweger Industrial Policy Coordinator International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) David Cockroft General Secretary International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) Hans Engelberts General Secretary Wendy Caird Coordinator, Quality Public Services Campaign Public Service International (PSI) Phillip Jennings General Secretary James Sauber Americas Regional Representative Union Network International (UNI) Neil Kearney General Secretary International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) World Confederation of Labour (WCL) Willy Thys Secretary General, WCL Paul Tennassee Director,WCL Liaison Office in Washington Isabelle Hoferlin Head of Labour Standards and Human Rights Department, WCL Michel Bovy President, CSC-Transport et Communications (Belgium), President, WCL Transport Federation European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Peter Coldrick Confederal Secretary European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD John Evans General Secretary, TUAC-OECD Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) 14 Manfred Bardeleben Director, New York Office Erwin Schweisshelm Trade Union Coordinator, International Development Cooperation Werner Sengenberger Consultant Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) International Labour Organization (ILO) Tony Freeman Director, ILO Washington Office Bob Kyloh Representative, ILO-ACTRAV WORLD BANK DELEGATION James Wolfensohn President Mamphela Ramphele Managing Director Eckhard Deutscher Executive Director - Germany Jim Adams Vice President, Operations Policy and Country Svs Gordon Betcherman Senior Economist, Human Development Network Vinay Bhargava Director, External Affairs Robert Holzmann Director, Human Development Network Robert Hunja Manager, Procurement Policy and Services Group Michael Klein Director, Private Sector Advisory Services Amy Luinstra Officer, Human Development Network Jo Ritzen Vice President, Human Development Network Sudhir Shetty Manager, Poverty Reduction Group INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND DELEGATION Horst Köhler Managing Director Timothy Geithner Director, Policy Development and Review Department Willy Kiekens Executive Director - Belgium and other countries Mark Allen Deputy Director, Policy Development and Review Department Brian Ames Advisor, Policy Development and Review Department Peter Fallon Deputy Division Chief, Development Issues, Policy Development and Review Department Nadeem Ilahi Economist, Development Issues Division, Policy Development Review Department Reinhard Munzberg Special Representative to the United Nations Bassirou Sarr Advisor, External Relations Department 15