Global Policy Network

The Global Policy Network (GPN) consists of policy and research institutions connected to the world's trade union movements. GPN's work reflects a concern with the economic, social, and political conditions of working people in both developing and developed nations. The network's purpose is to exchange information and research among its member organizations; facilitate coordinated analysis of common issues; and to provide information to others on the state of working people in the global economy.

GPN came about as a result of the fourth International Progressive Policy Conference in Hamburg, Germany, in March 2000. The participants at that conference, who came from every continent, analyzed the current trend toward one-sided globalization that favors market liberalization over balanced development and social justice. The participants concluded that the current "neo-liberal" policy regime being pursued by international and national institutions fails the test of social legitimization. It protects the interests of multinational investors while it undercuts the living standards and bargaining power of workers. Furthermore, these market liberalization trends have resulted in slower economic growth, rising inequality, and the persistence of grinding poverty. That 75% of the world’s population still makes less than $2 per day is a stunning indictment of these policies.

The conferees do not oppose the development of a global economy. Nor do they seek to return to the world economic order of the past. Instead, they are committed to helping build a fair, prosperous, and sustainable economy for all the world’s people to share.

To that end, the conferees appointed a GPN Steering Committee of:

DIEESE — Inter Trade Union Department of Statistics and Socio-Economic Studies (Brazil)
EPI — Economic Policy Institute (Washington, D.C., USA)
ETUI — European Trade Union Institute (Brussels, Belgium)
NALEDI — National Labour and Economic Development Institute (Johannesburg, South Africa)
RIALS — Research Institute for the Advancement of Living Standards (Tokyo, Japan)

The Steering Committee will oversee the initial GPN program, which includes:

Bringing together and forging links between institutes connected to unions and labour movements in developed and developing countries. Through joint research, discussions, and related activities, think tanks and unions will develop the practical basis for furthering international solidarity and engaging the common challenges posed by globalization. The network will also be open to other progressive institutes and researchers.
Sharing research and ideas through a common web site and regular conferences and workshops. The web site (gpn.org) will link all members and will provide basic information and analysis regarding socio-economic developments around the world. Conferences will be held regularly and in different countries, increasing international dialogue and contributing toward coherent alternatives to neo-liberalism.
Facilitating exchanges of visiting scholars between member institutions. Inter-institutional exchanges of staff will contribute toward feasible and organic linkages between members. It will serve to underpin the development of common approaches to common problems.
Creating the basis for collaborative research projects and other related activities. The pooling and sharing of expertise, materials, and financial resources can be achieved through project collaboration between members. In selecting common themes for collaborative research projects, several criteria will be used, including the capacity to develop the research; relevance of the research question to the labour movement; strategic value of the research; and the commonality of the research problem to members.

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