Declaration of the 5^th Nedlac Annual Summit

1. The constituencies of NEDLAC: government, business, labour and the community, reaffirm a commitment to social dialogue and working together.
   
   

2. The NEDLAC constituencies declare that in the coming year social dialogue will focus on developing a common vision and programme for promoting and ensuring investment, job creation and people-centered development.
   
   

3. In so doing the NEDLAC constituencies seek over the medium to long term to make South Africa:

• The leading emerging market and destination of first choice for investors whilst retaining and expanding social equity and fair labour standards,

• A productive economy with high levels of service, a highly skilled workforce and modern systems of work organisation and management,

• A society in which there are economic opportunities for all, poverty is eradicated, income inequalities are reduced and basic services are available to all,

• A society in which our people, our most precious resource, are given the opportunity and support to develop to their fullest potential,

• A society that can promote the values of social equity, fairness and human dignity in the global economy.

1. NEDLAC has identified the following national priorities:

• Promoting and mobilising investment and creating decent work for all
• Ensuring economic empowerment for all, but especially for Black people, workers, people with disabilities, women and youth
• Eradicating poverty and addressing the legacy of under-development
• Strategically engaging globalisation to the best advantage of the country.

1. To address these national priorities the constituencies are committed to forging a shared vision and set of objectives that will include a mutually acceptable framework for analysing the nature of these challenges and a common programme of action to address them.
   
   

2. NEDLAC will continue to strive to manage and promote the expanding social dialogue that is an important feature of our democratic dispensation. This dialogue presents an opportunity for the constituencies to develop a dynamic partnership that will facilitate the successful and mutually beneficial socio-economic transformation of our country.
   
   

3. The constituencies recognise the need to commit to negotiating a common understanding of shared growth and social equity that will provide the basis for all to benefit from the collective effort of the constituencies.
   
   

4. Constituencies will detail what each will contribute to meeting the objectives of shared growth and social equity through:

• Promoting and mobilising investment

• Creating decent work for all and promoting economic empowerment

• Managing growth so that it is sustainable

• Defining how the benefits of growth are shared.

1. This vision will enable all to commit to work towards developing our country through the common knowledge that they have everything to gain by playing an active role as citizens.

2. NEDLAC will continue to ensure:

• The ongoing efforts of the constituencies to make the chambers of NEDLAC key sites for interaction and detailed negotiation on priority policy issues of the day

• The monitoring of agreements reached and programs implemented by the constituencies, in particular the Presidential Jobs Summit Agreements of 1998

• The participation of the constituencies in increasing international and regional processes of social dialogue.