National Voices for Transnational Governance
Event highlights from “W(h)ither trade and labour? What’s next in the world of transnational labour governance?”, 6 June 2025, Geneva.
By Yasmeen Chaudhry, Programme & Partnerships Manager, TASC Platform.
On the margins of the 113th International Labour Conference, the TASC Platform and Cornell University’s Global Labour Institute co-hosted an evening reception and dialogue exploring the future of transnational labour governance. The event brought together policymakers, envoys, labour advocates, and institutional partners for a grounded, forward-looking exchange on how trade and labour systems are evolving.
At the heart of the discussion were H.E. Miriam Caterina Roquel Chávez, Guatemala’s Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, and Lutfey Siddiqi, Special Envoy for International Affairs for Bangladesh, two leading voices driving values-based transitions with institutional depth and international clarity. They were joined by Kelly Fay Rodríguez, Special Representative for International Labour Affairs, US Department of State and Arianna Rossi Senior Research and Policy Coordinator, Supply Chain Action Programme, ILO, with moderation by Kitrhona Cerri, Executive Director, TASC Platform, Geneva Graduate Institute and Jason Judd, Executive Director, Global Labor Institute, Cornell University, USA, who helped explore how national reforms, multilateral tools, and cross-border partnerships are reshaping the contours of labour governance.
“Social dialogue is our tool.”
H.E. Miriam Caterina Roquel Chávez, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Guatemala
Keynote address by H.E. Miriam Caterina Roquel Chávez, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Guatemala
With a deeply human and grounded message, Minister Chávez spoke to Guatemala’s labour reform efforts and the urgent need to restore balance across global supply chains. Her intervention re-centred the conversation on what just governance requires: decent work, institutional trust, and accountability that reaches beyond borders.
As fractures deepen across global trade and supply chains, the conversation turned to what the future holds for workers, employers, and governments. From NAFTA to USMCA, from voluntary codes of conduct to legislation like the EU’s CSDDD, and from bilateral deals to the WTO, trade and labour policymaking has evolved rapidly, and now returns to the global agenda with new urgency.
“In a world of radical uncertainty, it’s all the more important to be driven by goals, values, and principles.”
Lutfey Siddiqi, Special Envoy for International Affairs, Bangladesh
Keynote address by Lutfey Siddiqi, Special Envoy for International Affairs, Bangladesh
Making the case for a transition that is both embedded nationally and globally relevant, Lutfey Siddiqi reflected on Bangladesh’s demographic weight, trade dependencies, and reform trajectory. He called for transitions that match speed with fairness, and invited the room to reflect on who holds influence over how change unfolds.
This exchange is part of the TASC Platform’s ongoing Trade and Labour initiative, developed in partnership with the World Economic Forum and supported by the Laudes Foundation.