April 24, 2024
1st Elective Congress
May 1-5, 2024, Buenos Aires, Argentina
We are thrilled to take this moment to invite you to countdown with us to a landmark moment for waste pickers from around the world- the IAWP Congress 2024. From May 1st to 5th, we will be meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for our first elective Congress!
At the International Alliance of Waste Pickers, we are waste pickers united for our rights. From Burkina Faso in Africa to the Philippines in Asia; Honduras in Latin America to Turkey in Europe, we come together from all the regions of our planet. We have collectivised from 50 organizations in 34 countries to defend our rights as workers.
The Congress is the Alliance’s highest decision-making body and is composed of 88 delegates elected from our 50 affiliated waste picker organizations, with strategic partners invited as observers and guests. According to our Constitution, we will have our Congress at least once every five years.
What makes this Congress even more special is that for the first time, our truly global movement of waste pickers will be electing representatives democratically and internationally, a moment that will go down in history of both the Alliance and workers rights movements globally.
Excited about the event yet? We sure are! And if you are curious about the participants, details about affiliates, agenda, explanation of procedures and resolutions, we also have you covered! We recently launched our website, that is available in English, Spanish and French where you can learn more about the Congress which will be hosted in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from May 1-5:
Show some love and solidarity- share our images, spread the word, stand in support of waste pickers and get the world talking about us!
Want to learn more? Continue reading, we share many resources below!
Participants
The IAWP has 88 delegates attending its congress, from 34 countries including Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America.
Check out our list of delegates, guests and observers.
Resolutions and constitution amendments
International Alliance of Waste Picker’s affiliates submitted resolutions for the delegates to discuss prior to, and vote for, during Congress.
Affiliates
Learn more about the 50 affiliated organizations who are a part of the Alliance.
Congress Agenda
From May 1-5, 2024 we will be busy with events that will bring together delegates, guests and observers from around the world.
We will celebrate a march for Workers Day, celebrate our diverse cultures, debate and deliberate, vote, get to know our future representatives and much more.
Follow us along on our 5 day journey through our first ever Elective Congress. These are our key events:
- May 1: Labor Day March and Opening Plenary.
- May 2: Elections for the positions of President, Vice President and Treasurer.
- May 3: Discussion of resolutions and amendments to the constitution. Public presentation of new IAWP authorities.
- May 4: Field visit to cardboard cooperatives.
- May 5: Why is an International Alliance of Waste Pickers required? Panel discussions.
Waste Pickers on the Frontline
IAWP delegation represents worker rights at the INC-4 during discussion on the Plastic Treaty in Ottawa
From April 23 to 29, 2024, a delegation from the IAWP is attending the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, being held in Ottawa, Canada. This Plastics Treaty aims to address all stages of the plastic life cycle, including design, production, and disposal. The IAWP will have 11 delegates from 8 countries attending, including Chile, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, India, Canada, USA and Italy, to participate as an active voice in the process.
We advocate for recognition and direct participation in national laws and regulations related to plastic waste management, and call for fair pay and a just transition to new systems.
Our demands:
- Ensure that Just Transition is included in the preamble, scope and section on waste management, as well as in places where it already exists (like the EPR section)
- Retain the mention of waste pickers throughout the text.
- Include definitions for waste pickers, just transition, and workers in informal and cooperative settings.
These measures aim to acknowledge waste pickers’ historical contributions, protect their rights, and promote effective and sustainable plastic waste management practices.
The decision to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) was made on March 2, 2022, during the fifth UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) held in Nairobi, Kenya. The committee’s mandate is to advance the development of a legally-binding international agreement on plastics.
Live updates in X/Twitter.
Tweet
Leave a comment