Report
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Ms. Sandra Polaski, Joaquim Bento de Souza Ferreir, Janine Berg, …
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REQUIRED IMAGE
In The Media
Central America and the U.S. Face Challenge—and Chance for Historic Breakthrough—on Workers’ Rights
Published on Feb 10, 2003
Source: Carnegie
ISSUE BRIEF
TRADE, EQUITY,
AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
February 2003
Central America and the U.S. Face Challenge-and Chance for Historic Breakthrough-on Workers' Rights
Full text in English
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Full text in English
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Full text in Spanish (PDF format)
Summary
The U.S. Congress has instructed the administration to treat labor issues as
a key objective in trade negotiations, and nowhere will the challenge be more
formidable than in newly launched talks with Central American governments. Polaski
notes that violations of workers' rights and rule of law are serious and widespread
in the region. She offers a proposal for the U.S. - Central American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA) which creates incentives for governments and firms in Central
America to improve treatment of workers, labor laws and enforcement. Despite
the deeply entrenched nature of the problems, "a key reason that this approach
can succeed where Central American governments alone have not, is that it aligns
private sector incentives with public interests," she writes. Polaski's
recommendations build on recent, successful experiments undertaken by the United
States and developing countries in other trade agreements.
About the Author
Sandra Polaski is a senior associate with the Trade, Equity, and Development
Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She served from 1999-2002
as the Special Representative for International Labor Affairs at the U.S. Department
of State, the senior official handling labor matters in U.S. foreign policy.
Also Read on CAFTA: John Audley's "Opportunities and Challenges to Advance Environmental Protection in the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Negotiations"
About the Author
Ms. Sandra Polaski
Former Senior Associate, Director, Trade, Equity and Development Program
Until April 2002, Polaski served as the U.S. Secretary of State’s Special Representative for International Labor Affairs, the senior State Department official dealing with such matters.
- Brazil in the Global Economy: Measuring the Gains From Trade
- One Cheer for Global Trade TalksArticle
Ms. Sandra Polaski
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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