“Building Workers’ Rights: Change the Rules, Unity - the Way Forward for an Inclusive, Sustainable Asia-Pacific” – Theme of the recently concluded ITUC-AP 4^th Regional Conference that was held over 3 days from 7 - 9 October 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.

The 4^th Regional Conference was attended by 261 participants and out of the 170 delegates registered, 48.8% were women and 18.8% were youth.

Following the plenary discussion on the Future of Work with keynote speakers from the ILO Global Commission, namely Ms. Reema Nanavaty, former General Secretary of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), and Mr. Philip Jennings, founding General Secretary of the UNI Global Union, Shoya Yoshida, General Secretary of the ITUC-AP, proposed the Conference Thematic Paper. Shoya Yoshida said, “As committed by the 4^th ITUC World Congress, we need to build and deliver a new social contract to give democracy better control over the market and improve its influence on public policies.”

“The social contract can be rebuilt only by making social dialogue work. We must therefore first create a stable political climate for social partners to operate without fear of reprisal on the basis of the full recognition of trade unions in compliance with the ILO Core Conventions. Also, trade unions must play a central role as communities of workers and their families and must represent their voice more effectively. To this end, they must meet their fundamental requirements of being representative, democratic, independent and united,” Shoya Yoshida added.

The Conference Thematic Paper was adopted as the ITUC-AP Action Programme for the next four years after addresses by the conference delegates.

Shoya Yoshida was elected uncontested as General Secretary of the ITUC-AP for the conference period 2019 - 2023. The Regional Conference also elected Members of the Regional General Council and Auditors for the same period.

A target of 40% women's representation in each group of Regional General Council Members, i.e. Titular, First Substitute and Second Substitute, was set at the 17^th Meeting of the ITUC-AP Regional General Council. The overall women’s representation in the ITUC-AP Regional General Council for the conference period 2019 - 2023 is 50%.

The 4^th Regional Conference also adopted the following resolutions:

1. Democratic Future of Hong Kong
2. Republic of Korea: Effective Implementation of Supreme Court Decision on Employee Status of Tollgate Fee Collectors
3. Condemnation of the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2019 - Australia
4. Solidarity with Indian Workers’ Struggle against Anti-Labour Policies of Government
5. Support to the Afghanistan National Union of Afghanistan Workers’ Employees (NUAWE)

The next Regional Conference of the ITUC-AP will be held in 2023.