ESCs worldwide review partnership with ILO

Willemstad, February 2, 2024 – Led by the Social and Economic Council (SER) of Curaçao, the first extraordinary board meeting of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS) for the year 2024 was held on Wednesday, January 31. Conducted entirely online, the session brought together representatives from countries such as Aruba, Benin, China, Ivory Coast, France, Greece, Guatemala, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rumania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, and from the Union of African Economic and Social Councils (UCESA), with a focus on assessing the collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO).

This partnership, initially established on May 8, 2012, and subsequently renewed on October 23, 2018, in Geneva, Switzerland, serves as a testament to the shared commitment to utilizing collective expertise to tackle pressing social and labor challenges.

The AICESIS-ILO Cooperation Agreement, subject to review every six years, concentrates on critical areas such as institutionalized social dialogue, tripartism, and the promotion of participatory democracy, aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda and international discussions on the future of work.

This week’s AICESIS board meeting culminated in the unanimous endorsement of an important report, put forward by the Presidency of Curaçao, which will steer the forthcoming evaluation and enhancement of the AICESIS-ILO cooperation. The report underscores the ongoing necessity to focus on the Decent Work Agenda and the institutional strengthening of member institutions.

The recent designation of SER Curaçao as the president of AICESIS underscores the increasing influence of Latin America and the Caribbean in the global arena. The next statutory AICESIS board meeting, scheduled to be held in person in Guatemala City towards the end of April this year, aims to delve into the theme of “broad and inclusive growth”, a key focus of the Curaçao presidency’s roadmap.