Trade unions around the world will join a Day of Action for Democracy in Egypt on 8 February, following a decision by the ITUC General Council meeting in Brussels today. Unions will organise demonstrations at Egyptian embassies, and continue to press their governments to demand democratic transition in Egypt and to ensure that those responsible for the violent repression of peaceful demonstrations are brought to justice.

An international trade union event at the World Social Forum in Dakar, Senegal on 9 February will address the causes of and solutions to the global economic crisis. Open to all the organisations and movements present in Dakar, other ITUC-supported activities at the Forum will deal with migration, domestic workers, access to social protection and trade and investment. Yesterday's opening march included a huge number of trade unionists coming from Africa, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

In June 2008, just outside Morocco’s capital city Rabat, a small number of farmers established “Swani Tiqa”; an innovative concept in agriculture which aimed to introduce organic farming to the region and to establish direct relationships between farmers and their customers.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC)

Tunisia, 16 April 2010 (ITUC OnLine): Nine Arab trade union organisations affiliated to the ITUC met in Hammamet, Tunisia, from 14 to 16 April, together with six guest union organisations from the region. Open and constructive discussions were held with ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder on the ITUC's strategy for the Arab region, within the framework of preparatory discussions ahead of the ITUC Congress in Vancouver (Canada) in June.