On June 27 and 28, Greece hosted the meetings of the General Assembly and the Board of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS). After meeting almost exclusively online during the previous two-year period, the members of this international organization gathered in person in Athens to discuss the current situation and further improvent of the work of AICESIS.
A regular discussion was held on the practical aspects of the partnership with the International Labor Organization, otherwise known as the U.N. Agency, and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). These two organizations represent the main support and source of AICESIS activities with their focus on issues of importance for the world of work and the promotion of international economic and social cooperation and development. Another important topic of discussion concerned the proposed changes to the Statute, which aimed to adopt a modern, substantively and technically refined document, aligned with the goals of the UN. In this sense, a preamble, a clear overview of definitions, goals and principles of work of AICESIS was added, but technical limitations in case of non-payment of membership fees, limitations on the duration of individual mandates and others were also introduced. An initiative was submitted to include in the text of the Statute respect for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and a call for dialogue in good faith. A proposal was also made to provide, through amendments, that the mandate of the current members of the Board lasts until the end of the term for which they were elected, which will enable the smooth functioning of AICESIS, given that the changes to the Statute enter into force on the day of adoption.
AICESIS members also held the International Conference on Climate Change as part of the two-day events. The participants agreed that these changes, by themselves, represent a type of crisis that is a major global challenge, and it requires systematic cooperation at multiple levels. Therefore, at the core of the priorities of social and economic councils are social dialogue and a holistic approach to contemporary challenges that point to major political interventions for environmental protection.
Representing the President of Serbian Association of Employers, Mr Miloš Nenezić, Mr Andreja Brkić, President of the UPS Executive Board, participated in the work of the Board meeting. As a member of the tripartite delegation of the Social and Economic Council of the Republic of Serbia he participated in the work of the AICESIS Assembly meeting, as part of consideration of the venue for the next Board meeting.
We would like to point out that the timely proposal that the Republic of Serbia to be the host was accepted, but was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the Social and Economic Council of the RS and the Serbian Association of Employers once again received confirmation of appreciation from international partners.
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