Washington, DC – On Friday, October 10th, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman brought together representatives of the U.S. government, Myanmar and other international governments, the International Labor Organization, the World Bank, and the International Finance Corporation to help build support for a joint U.S.-Myanmar initiative to improve labor conditions in Myanmar. The labor initiative was announced during Ambassador Froman's visit to Myanmar, the first by a U.S. Trade Representative, in August.
During the meeting, participants reviewed the Myanmar labor initiative and discussed how it supports broader efforts to promote responsible trade and investment practices and sustainable economic development. The Myanmar labor initiative is centered around two pillars -- a multi-year labor reform plan and a consultative mechanism that draws in a variety of local and international stakeholders and establishes an architecture for social dialogue.
“This initiative is an important opportunity to support Myanmar as it reintegrates into the global economy and to ensure that the benefits of increased trade with, and investment in, Myanmar are broadly shared,” Ambassador Michael Froman said following the meeting. “There was a great deal of agreement and interest around the table in supporting Myanmar and its political and economic reforms.”
Participants in Friday’s meetings at USTR included representatives from the United States, Myanmar, Australia, the European Commission, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The International Labor Organization, World Bank, and International Finance Corporation also took part. In addition to Ambassador Froman, additional U.S. agency representatives from the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury participated in the meeting.
