Forum Information
Tentative Programme
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Introduction
General Objective
Operational Objectives
Forum Agenda and Format
Forum Output
Conference Proceedings
Participants, Accommodation and Funding for Participation
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Background
 
Introduction
 
 

The Bangladesh Garment Workers Protection Alliance (BGWPA) is hosting the World Solidarity Forum for Garment Workers in Least Developed Countries on March 22-24, 2003 in Dhaka, Bangladesh with participation of garment and textile workers' federations, women's groups, human rights organizations, global civil society networks and international trade experts. The purpose of the forum is to develop a network of like-minded groups around the world to campaign for the protection of the rights, interests and livelihood of garment and textile workers in least developed countries (LDCs).

The BGWPA, a network of NGOs, trade unions, garment workers federations and other associations concerned about the rights of garment workers, was formed in Bangladesh to work together to protect and promote the rights of the garment workers.

The World Solidarity Forum coincides to express solidarity with, and campaign for, workers of the readymade garment (RMG) sector of Bangladesh, which employs the highest number of poor-rural women into the formal labour force, now stands on the edge of a crisis, due to the changing global trade context emanating from factors such as the phase out of the MFA, enactment of USTDA, China's entry into the WTO, government inability to address backward and forward linkages etc. About 40 percent of the 3400 export-oriented RMG units in Bangladesh are now closed and the number of jobless RMG workers is over four hundred thousand in a country where about half the population live below the poverty line. The situation may not be as grave in other LDCs that have less reliance on the RMG sector for economic prosperity, but nevertheless, the workers in the sector, who are primarily women, pay the price for the of instability and inequality of the global trading system.
 
 
General Objectives
 
 
The general objective of the World Solidarity Forum is to build an alliance and develop collective strategies to campaign towards development-centred global and national trade regimes that will protect the rights of garment workers in LDCs.
Operational Objectives
 
The operational objectives of the World Solidarity Forum are:

  • To develop an agenda and action plan to work together to protect the rights of in the garment and textile industries of least developed countries in general and female workers of Bangladesh in particular;

  • To produce targeted policy advocacy briefs, prepared before and as a result of the Forum through group and plenary presentations with a view to influencing legislative and executive branches of developed market economies (e.g. US Congress, EU, Canadian Parliament etc.) as well as global forum such as WTO;

  • To plan for future activities as part of the advocacy work and to monitor progress of the activities of the global alliance.
Forum Agenda and Activities
 

The World Solidarity Forum will be participatory in nature. Work will be done in small groups and in plenary and the Forum will culminate with a solidarity march.

The Forum begins with an inaugural plenary and the airing of a film on the plight of female garment workers of Bangladesh, illustrating the impact of globalization on the feminization of poverty.

Short presentations on country-specific and global issues relating to trade and the conditions for the garment workers will comprise the programme for the second day. Consultative group sessions will be organized to develop and prepare targeted policy briefs. These participatory consultative sessions are designed to formulate the first set of advocacy policy briefs targeted towards, among others, the WTO, G-8, US legislative and executive branches, European Union, Canadian Parliament, multilateral financial institutions like World Bank and the IMF etc. The purpose of the policy briefs is to articulate arguments on why changes are required in the trade regimes of a particular country or the WTO for the benefit of the garment workers in LDCs, and to present a strong rationale on how these changes would benefit people in the importing countries. In general, the LDC country case studies and case studies from importing countries will be the basis for the policy briefs, and will be delivered by a group/individual working in the designated country. This format is being followed to ensure that the documents produced by the forum are useful for country-specific advocacy networks as well as the global alliance. (e.g. the initial policy brief targeted towards the US Congress for presentation to the Forum is expected to be prepared by a US group/ person arguing that suggested changes in the US trade regime would not only benefit garment workers in LDCs such as Bangladesh but also would bring substantive benefit to the US interest as well ).

Sessions will be devoted to a discussion on the modalities for forming the global network, as well as creating an agenda and action plan for future advocacy. The group will discuss type, medium and place of future activities in addition to issues related to the governance of the alliance, its structures, finances and responsibilities of partner organizations.

On the concluding day, participants from the Forum representing garment and textile workers' federations, women's groups, human rights organizations, global civil society networks and international trade experts from around the globe will join in a Solidarity Rally to present the Forum Declaration to government, international organizations, etc.

In addition to activities planned for the Forum, efforts will be made to ensure that the Forum outcomes are widely covered in the national and international press and other media.
 
 

Forum Output

  

  • Formation of a global network of organizations and workers' groups to collectively lobby and advocate at the global/bilateral/national levels for protection of the rights, interests and livelihood of garment and textile workers in LDCs;

  • Development of an agenda and action plan delineating type, medium and place of activities in addition to delineation of responsibilities to partner organizations; and

  • Preparation of a first set of targeted policy advocacy briefs with a view to influencing the legislative and executive branches of developed market economies (e.g. US Congress, EU, Canadian Parliament etc.) as well as global forums such as WTO.