A delegation of the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee is attending the World Social Forum 2011 which takes place in Dakar, Senegal, from 7 to 10 February. Besides participation at the works of the Forum, MEPs also had two briefings for Senegalese government representatives and NGOs.

Thematic briefings on poverty, social cohesion, corporate social responsibility, the single permit and all other immigration issues of the third country nationals on which the Employment Committee is working on were organised on Tuesday and Wednesday and attracted a lot of interest from local government officials, EU diplomats and Senegalese and European non-government organisations’ representatives.

The exchanges focussed on equal treatment and integration of migrant workers in Europe as well as on their return conditions. The need for bridges between the private sector and local development was also highlighted.

Debates at the WSF were dominated by the condition and place of women in society as well as by rural issues such as land ownership and the quality of props.

Pervenche Berès (S&D, FR), Head of the EP delegation and Chair of the Employment committee said:

« It is the first time that an EP committee delegation takes part in a World Social Forum meeting, 10 years after its creation. The issues raised here are at the core of the European Parliament’s daily work regarding migration, agriculture, the environment, trade and development. The social aspects of these policies and their external dimension have to be recognised by the European legislator. « 

Other members of the Parliament delegation participating at the forum are Danuta Jazłowiecka (EPP, PL), Jean Lambert (Greens/EFA, UK) and Karima Delli (Greens, FR).

The World Social Forum is a meeting place for social movements, networks, NGOs and other civil society organizations where they debate ideas, formulate proposals, share their experiences and establish networks. First Forum was organised in January 2001 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

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