Final statement of the second conference of the International Federation of Asian and African Trade Unions

Under the slogan (challenges of trade union work in the continents of Asia and Africa), the second conference of the International Federation of Asian and African Trade Unions was held on Sunday and Monday, 22 and 23 Jumada Al-Thani 1444 corresponding to 15 and 16 January 2023 in Casablanca Morocco, in the presence of 25 central trade unions representatives from the continents of Asia and Africa.

The conference started with an opening session that included the words of the President of the Union, Saud Al-Hujailan, representative of the Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Secretary General of the World  federation of Trade Unions and Secretary General of the Asian Organization African Human Rights, as well as the words of the representatives of the participating organizations.

Unanimously agreed on the importance of cooperation and coordination, in order to confront the various challenges facing trade union work in the two continents and the situation of migrant workers, especially in areas of conflict and security tensions, as well as the effects and repercussions of the pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war, in addition to the high inflation rates and the exponential rise in prices in various basic materials, which increased the suffering of workers.

The interventions also dealt with the challenges of developing trade union work, especially at the legislative level, and interest in training and educating Trade unionists and rehabilitate youth and trade union women, especially in light of the recorded reluctance to work in trade unions.

On the second day of the conference, after selecting the vice-president and its rapporteur, those present approved the general report and the financial report after great discussion. The strategic plan for the Federation's work in the next phase was also approved after extensive discussion and presentation recommendations and proposals for enrichment.

After that, the members of the conference proceeded to the process of electing the new Executive Council according to the following composition:

President: Saud Al-Hujailan (Kuwait)

Vice-President: Mostafa Merizq (Morocco)

Vice-President: Mohamed Ahmed Alairak (Mauritania)

Secretary General: Muhammad al-mabrouk Abu Zaid (Libya)

Deputy Secretary General: Mohamed Zueiten (Morocco)

Secretary for African Affairs: Mohamed Nasreddine Moussa (Chad)

Secretary for Asia: Haji Muhammad (Pakistan)

Secretary for Middle East Affairs: Khaled Al-Otaibi (Kuwait)

Financial Secretary: Abdel Salam Mohamed Al-Zoubi (Libya)

At the conclusion of the conference, the participants emphasized the following:

• Expressing thanks to the Kingdom of Morocco for hosting the second conference of the International Federation of Asian and African Trade Unions.
• Calling on governments and countries to adopt effective public policies to address the repercussions of the Corona pandemic, which has affected the health situation, social and economic status in different countries.
• Demanding the international community to adopt real and effective measures to confront climate change in order to secure sustainable development and relying on renewable energies and the green economy, and thus providing food, health and security to emphasize the necessity of keeping pace with technological progress and artificial intelligence in a way that preserves job positions and stability at work.
• Calling on governments and countries to pay attention to migrant foreign workers and to pass laws that preserve their rights and their dignity in order to ensure safe and orderly migration in accordance with the International Compact for Migration.
• Demanding the generalization of comprehensive social protection to all citizens of the Member States.
• Urging the member federations to do justice to the working woman as her male brother, and to raise the level of female representation in the agencies Reporting.
• Considering the Palestinian issue as a national issue, and the attendants of the conference demanded lifting the siege imposed on Palestinian labor and enabling it to work on their rights and the limitation of layoffs, and the conference renews its demand to end the Zionist occupation and to enable the Palestinians to establish their own state and Its capital is Jerusalem.
• Considering wars and countries involving in regional tensions as a threat to global peace and security.
• The Conference renews its absolute support for the territorial integrity of Morocco and its full sovereignty over the Moroccan Sahara, calls for the rejection of division and the strengthening of bridges, relations, and respect for the sovereignty of states.

As the second conference of the International Federation of Asian and African Trade Unions acknowledges the works that marked the conference, which took place in a fraternal atmosphere, it calls on all members of the trade union federations to work to strengthen the bridges of communication and cooperation for all its components, and to expand its organizational radiation in all countries of the two continents.