Center for American Progress Action

: Decent Work: Forging a New International Consensus on Globalization
Past Event


Decent Work: Forging a New International Consensus on Globalization

Globalization is fueling considerable anxiety in America as workers face competition from countries in which living standards, wages, and social protection levels are lower. U.S. workers therefore have a stake in improving living standards and promoting decent work in developing countries, thereby building middle classes and boosting demand for our own goods and services. Efforts to spur job creation, safeguard core labor standards, and strengthen social safety nets and economic institutions abroad are part of the Decent Work Agenda of the International Labor Organization. What role could the ILO play in forging a new international consensus on globalization through the Decent Work Agenda? What role could the United States and other developed countries play in advancing this agenda? Keynote speaker ILO Director-General Juan Somavia will explore these themes from an international perspective. A distinguished panel will then discuss how to develop a broader domestic consensus on globalization and decent work that builds on the recent bipartisan agreement on labor standards in trade agreements.