26 December 2004	Sunday	13 Ziqa'ad 1425

KARACHI, Dec 25: Civil society representatives attending the South Asian Consultation on Promoting Labour Rights through the SAARC Social Charter have demanded demilitarization and denuclearization of South Asian region and resolution of all conflicts through peaceful means.

The demand is part of a declaration, adopted on Saturday after a two-day moot on promoting labour rights through SAARC social charter, organized by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) at PILER Headquarters on Saturday.

Mr Karamat Ali, Mr B.M. Kutty, Dr Ravni Thakur and Mr Surender Mohan of India, Mr Umesha Upadhyaya of Nepal, Mr Mohiuddin of Bangladesh and Mr Majula Parera of Sri Lanka were among the speakers who addressed the gathering. The moot, which began on Friday, ended here on Saturday.

Welcoming the commitments of South Asian countries made in the SAARC Social Charter, the participants were of the view that for the realization of these commitments, all existing conflicts be resolved peacefully without the threat of economic or military violence, and there should be an immediate dismantling of nuclear weapons.

They also called for an agreement to a no-war pact by SAARC countries; and the reduction of defence spending in each state by 10 per cent each year.

Public support to peace and tolerance in South Asia, they said, required mass people-to-people contacts, and unrestricted travel by ordinary people. They they demanded issuance of visa upon arrival; subsidized travel in the SAARC region; and state encouragement to exchanges of students, teachers and media.

The declaration also called for implementing the South Asian Labour Charter of 1996, free movement of labour and common minimum wage across the regions, rights and legalization of the informal sector, rights and non-harassment or arrest of fisherman caught while fishing on the high seas.

The civil society representatives also demanded an end to bonded labour, security and regional safeguards for small-scale farmers and rural workers in the face of vulnerabilities arising out of the WTO regime.

The meeting also called for a common civil rights charter for South Asia, equality for women in civil and property laws, implementation of all UN Conventions and core labour laws, gender laws, assuring children rights and right to social security and livelihood.

The declaration also called for a SAARC monitoring commission composed of civil society groups and government to oversee the implementation of the SAARC social charter.

They demanded prompt and full implementation of all UN Conventions, in particular, the ILO Conventions, on core labour rights contained in the Declaration of Principles, and of the UN Convention on Civil, Economic and Social Rights.

Affirming universal rights to work and rights at work, they also demanded a national legislation and implementation of universally guaranteed employment, uniform living wages across the region and shelter. A secure livelihood for the self-employed requires countries to acknowledge the right to local control over land, water and forests, they said.

The moot called for integration of the South Asian Labour Charter into the Social Charter.

The declaration also affirmed women's rights to equal work opportunities, and demanded that the countries ensure absence of sexual harassment in going to work and at the workplace.

It also demanded an end to domestic violence against women. It declared that the trafficking of women and forced labour are extreme violations of rights that demanded immediate action by governments across the region.

In view of the existing severe social, political and economic inequalities within countries, the participants demanded that governments acknowledge the right to organization and of collective bargaining by all labour without any exclusions.

They pointed out that severe problems are faced by fishermen as they face threat of harassment and arrests while fishing in the open sea, and by migrants as they move across borders.

"We demand implementation of UN Conventions which provide protection against arbitrary and cruel treatment of such labour".

Universal and comprehensive rights cannot be attained and sustained without full democratization of societies and countries. Hence they demanded comprehensive steps to ensure participatory democracy.

They also demanded immediate formation of a broad-based SAARC Social Commission that oversees implementation of the Charter, and works towards the formation of a SAARC Court.

They also called upon the labour movement to strive for these demands through SAARC meetings and national meetings, especially through the celebration of a Peace & Solidarity Day across South Asia on Jan 4, 2005.

The participants also called for an action plan based on media policy which should work with media and also influence it to put forward social charter and help in creating new norms for regional solidarity.

Dr. Ashwani Saith, a professor at the London School of Economics and Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, during the inaugural session of the two-day consultation said development was increasing people's capabilities and emancipating them from different forms of oppression.

For women, it was emancipation from patriarchy and for uneducated it is emancipation from illiteracy.

Development issues in South Asia, he said, were multifaceted, yet similar in all the countries of the region; therefore, SAARC Social Charter was a very important document as it had the potential to address the problems of the largest number of poor people living in one region.

SAARC Social Charter, he said, should be rights based so that it can provide people living in the region with opportunities of decent work that will consequently lead to decent living conditions.