International Relations
REPORT 2004
International: Bleak view but some successes
It is easy to take a bleak view of international matters in
the last year.
Among the many problems facing the world, we saw the horrific
consequences of the Iraq war, the threat from within the USA
administration of more wars and the hypocrisy of the USA and
the UK governments in maintaining their own Weapons of Mass
Destruction. The terrible suffering of the Palestinian people
has continued.
We have become more aware of the growing devastation in the
developing world from HIV and also from malaria and other preventable
diseases. The international community has been unable to deal
with the Darfus crisis in Sudan.
Positives
In fact there have been a number of positive things to report.
The trend in South America towards the election of left-leaning
governments and the failure of business interests to win the
vote against Chavez in Venezuela, shows that the free-market
liberalisation consensus can be shifted. The European Social
Forum in London, an enormous meeting of diverse social movements,
was inspiring to all who attended. UNISON and other British
trade unions played a major part in this event.
However, the main thing to report is plans for 2005, a year
which presents many opportunities for campaigning in support
of UNISON policies and applying pressure to UK and other governments:
. the UK Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2005
. the meeting of the G8 heads of state at Gleneagles on 6-8
July and the preparatory meetings for this
. the UN non-proliferation treaty summit
. the UN Millennium Summit in September
. Meeting of Trade Ministers to drive forward the current round
of trade talks, in December
Make Poverty History
UNISON is participating in the Make Poverty History Alliance,
which is seeking specific outcomes in the field of aid, trade
and debt in 2005. This will be organising an enormous demonstration
in Edinburgh on 2 July to influence the UK and other G8 governments
to take measures covering aid, debt relief, trade negotiations
to benefit the poorest nations and new international development
funding.
G8
In addition there will be other mobilisations around other
issues to be considered by the G8 meeting, including a protest
at Dungavel Detention Centre on 3 July and a Blockade of Faslane
Nuclear Submarine Base on 4 July.
I hope that our branch can play an active role in mobilising
for these and that with UNISON as a whole we will continue to
express UNISON's distinctive position (for example on the imposition
of conditions relating to 'de-regulation' and privatisation
attached to debt relief and aid); and to campaign for an end
to the occupation of Iraq; and abolition of British nuclear
weapons.
Matthew Creighton
International Officer
- Postcript from branch secretary: We have made some contacts
with unions in areas where the Tsunami hit and the AGM will
be asked to make funds available for them to rebuild.
We continue to communicate with colleagues in the Palestinian
trade unions and updates on their news can be found on the
international section at www.unison-scotland.org.uk.
Communication still carries on with colleagues in municipal
unions in the USA, particularly New York where we built links
after 9/11.
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