The First International Congress of StreetNet:
NOTING
1. that there is a lot of cross-border trade in many regions of the world, and many of the traders concerned and hawkers, street vendors and informal market vendors who are trying to eke out a living for their families in other countries because of the limited opportunities in their own countries;
2. that many of these informal traders face harassment from the authorities, which makes them particularly vulnerable to bribery and extortion;
3. that in addition to harassment from authorities, these traders often face hostility and xenophobia from the citizens of the host country;
4. that there will be an item on Migrant Labour on the agenda of the ILO’s International Labour Conference in June 2004, which will draw international attention to the plight of migrant and undocumented workers trying to earn a living in foreign countries;
HEREBY RESOLVES
1. as an international organisation committed to improving the lives of street vendors in all countries of the world, to oppose xenophobia and to discourage member organisations from adopting xenophobic policies or practices in relation to foreign nationals from other countries;
2. to encourage informal market vendors, street vendors and hawkers in different countries to engage voluntarily in trade with each other, and to develop the suitable terms and conditions for such trade to their own advantage;
3. to attend the International Labour Conference of the ILO in June 2004 in order to participate in the Committee on Migrant Labour with a delegation of participants most accustomed to working with foreign and migrant street vendors, informal market vendors and hawkers;
4. to participate in the Committee on Migrant Labour at the International Labour Conference with the objective of gaining recognition in the wording of its Conclusions or other ILO instrument about the situation and problems faced by foreign street vendors, informal market vendors and hawkers in particular.
PROPOSED: NFSVK
SECONDED: USYNVEPID
