FINANCIAL SECTOR SUMMIT REACHES MILESTONE AGREEMENTS
At the Financial Sector Summit on 20 August, the Nedlac constituencies signed a declaration committing themselves to strategies to transform the financial sector. The aims of the process, which took place over a period of months, included the following...

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN STEAMS AHEAD : 23 SEPTEMBER IS PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN DAY
As part of the consumer launch of Proudly South African, 23 September has been designated Proudly South African day. The Proudly South African logo has become more and more visible as the campaign takes hold.

THE CONVERNOR'S COLUMN
The WSSD is upon us and accordingly, different sectors of society have been involved with its preparatory work. In Sandton, the intergovernmental session will have to resolve outstanding issues or brackets in the "Chairman's text" to reach global consensus on the path to eradicate poverty.

SECTION 77 NOTICES: Plastic bags
CEPPWAWU (Chemical, Energy, Paper, printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union), SACWU (South African Chemical Workers'Union) and the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers' Union (SACCAWU) tabled a notice on 17 July stating that they were concerned about the effect that the proposed ban on thin plastic bags would have on the socio-economic interests of workers.

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL DIALOGUE
The International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (IAESCSI) met in Bucharest, Romania, in July. Professor Raymond Parsons attended on behalf of Nedlac. About 40 Economic and Social countries from around the world were represented at the main meetings.

NEDLAC SECRETARIAT CHANGES
There have been a number of changes in Nedlac personnel since the list sent out in Dialogue Vol 6 no 1. Natalie Robbs, General Manager, Vika Mpisane, Programme Manager, and Anusha Makka, Co-ordinator of the Public Finance and Monetary Policy Chamber, have resigned this year.

CIVIL SOCIETY SUMMIT
A 2-day Summit, with the title National Summit for Civil Society Participation under the new Cotonou Agreement, was held in Johannesburg from 12-13 August. About 150 delegates representing organs of civil society, drawn from the trade union movement, youth, women, people with disability, churches, community based organisations, cooperative associations, civic movement, business and other non-governmental organizations took part.

JOB CREATION SHOULD BE NATIONAL OBJECTIVE: ILO DG TELLS NEDLAC
Director General of the ILO, Juan Somavia, visited Nedlac on 23 August 2002, and gave a strong message regarding the importance of putting job creation strategies at the heart of all Government policy making. "Employment cannot be the result of economic policies, it should be the objective", he told a meeting of Nedlac's Management Committee.

USEFUL CONTACT NUMBERS

LETTER TO THE EDITOR