There is mounting evidence that the economic globalisation project initiated
after the fall of the Soviet Union is not keeping its promise of open
societies and a freer exchange of goods, knowledge, ideas and more social
justice. In fac, there are strong indications that such benefits are not
equally divided, so between north and south and developed and developing
countries. Responding to this evidence, the International Labour Organisation
(ILO) established the World Commission on the Social Dimension of
Globalisation in February 2002. In February 2004, following numerous
international and regional conferences and consultations, the Commission's
report, A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All, was presented to
the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization, to the Secretary
General of the United Nations, and to the heads of other UN agencies, the
World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization.
This volume represents the first in-depth evaluation of this important report.
The analyses and commentaries collected in this volume accomplish two
essential tasks. They detail the findings and recommendations of the
Commission, and they also spell out the implications of the Commission's
report for the ongoing viability of economic globalisation in practice. The
authors include ILO officials, representatives of both employers and labour
unions, specialists in various work-related professions, and academics in
disciplines related to work and society. Among the vital issues and topics
covered are the following:
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corporate social responsibility;
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the challenge of child labour;
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protected mobility for employment and decent work;
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employment security;
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the brain drain;
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migration to the high-income countries;
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psycho-social problems at work;
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ageism; and
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workers participation.
Several authors deal with the role played by other international organisations
like the OECD and the EU regarding the social aspects of globalisation. Two
important EU documents on the promotion of core labour standards and on the
social dimension of globalisation are reprinted here.
Treating as it does one of the major problems our generation-how to see to it
that globalisation benefits all of us and not only a few-Confronting
Globalisation: The Quest for a Social Agenda promises to take its place as
an indispensable resource for practitioners in many fields, from labour and
employment law to health care and environmental policy. It is not too much to
say that this book represents an immensely valuable contribution and
commitment to the future well-being of the world we live in.
