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HOMENET PUSHES ASEAN ADVOCACY

Representatives of Homenet Southeast Asia participated in three major ASEAN-related gatherings in October and November, 2007, advocating for an ASEAN Social Charter, ratification of key ILO conventions by ASEAN member countries, universal health insurance,  legislation for informal workers ( who comprised 156 million or  63.7 percent of total ASEAN employment in 2006), and support for fair trade groups and other social enterprises.

Rosalinda Pineda Ofreneo presented the advocacy paper of  Homenet SEA (entitled Informal Work and Fair Trade in an Integrating ASEAN which can be downloaded in  www.homenetseasia.org)  during the Sixth ASEAN People’s Assembly held at the EDSA Shangrila Hotel in Manila  on 24-35 October . The same paper was discussed by Josephine Parilla during the 3rd ASEAN Civil Society Conference  held 2-4 November at the Peninsula Excelsior in Singapore, which came out with a declaration calling for a people-centered, rights-based, and democratic ASEAN charter. 

Trade unions and NGOs, including Homenet Southeast Asia  as well as Homenet Thailand (represented by  Boonsom Namsomboon and Poonsap Tulaphan – see article below), Fair Trade Alliance, Committee on Asian Women, Asian Farmers Association, and Focus on the Global South,  pursued the advocacy further during the Dialogue with Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN Secretary General Designate held at the Century Park Hotel in Bangkok on 27 November. Spearheaded by UNI-APRO, UNI-ASETUC, FES,  and the Thai Labor Solidarity  Committee, some 180 participants (including 150 from Thai trade unions and labor NGOs), attended the dialogue.