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Africa & Arab countries

Africa and Arab countries form one of the four regions in the PSI structure. Our 153 affiliated organisations in some 43 countries represent a membership of around 1.5 million people here. The regional secretariat is based in Lomé, Togo. Contact our regional offices.

UN report says global tax system needs urgent reform

09 April 2019

The fourth edition of United Nations “Financing for Sustainable Development Report 2019” says a failure to reshape both national and international financial systems will undermine the SDGs and limit our ability to end extreme poverty and combat climate change.

7 April - Time for Universal Public Health Care

05 April 2019

Health is a human right. The 2019 World Health Day (WHD) is an opportunity to advocate for every woman, man and child to have access to quality public health.

People over profit: End policies that undermine Health for All

05 April 2019
A young woman holds a People over Profit banner at a demonstration

PSI’s vision is one of a better future, based on social and economic justice, and efficient, accessible public services around the world. Campaigns to influence policy internationally and nationally is thus central to our work. PSI General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli shows how Right to Health Quarterly, serves as our voice to advance the goal of universal public healthcare.

IMF conditionalities promote unhealthy conditions

05 April 2019

A report by EURODAD investigates the IMF policy of attaching policy conditions to its loans. Not only do these conditionalities undermine the sovereignty of countries that receive IMF loans, they also promote austerity measures to detriment of public services.

The impacts of austerity on health

05 April 2019
Health sector workers checking through files

Austerity is a policy used by governments to save money, either as an overall reduction in government spending as a percentage of GPD (Gross Domestic Product), or specific reductions in government spending. However it is defined, austerity causes specific losses to specific people.

PSI participates in 144th Executive Board Session of the WHO

05 April 2019
Genevieve Gencianos, PSI, speaking at the WHO Executive Board

A seven-person delegation from Public Services International (PSI) took part in the 144th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board which took place in Geneva from 24 January to 1 February. The PSI delegation intervened on five crucial items on the agenda.

United Nations adopts Two Landmark Global Compacts on Migrants and on Refugees

04 April 2019
Health workers caring for refugees

In December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UN Global Compact for Migration and the UN Global Compact on Refugees. The compacts were adopted after two years of intensive consultations and negotiations. PSI actively engaged in advocacy and lobbying during these processes and welcomed their adoption.

Inspiring campaigning! #TaxJustice for Women's Rights Global Days of Action

27 March 2017

The final week of the #TaxJustice for Women's Rights Global Days of Action has been extremely busy. These have been truly global days of action, as you will see from the photos, events and actions from around the world.

Support Fair and Ethical Recruitment: #NoRecruitmentFees

14 February 2017
Join the PSI campaign to abolish the practice of charging recruitment fees on migrant workers. Sign on to the Manifesto and use it to shift policy and practice towards fair and ethical recruitment. #NoRecruitmentFees

Respect the right to organise - Reinstate Liberian trade union leaders NOW!

06 October 2016

The Liberian regime has no respect for basic Human Rights; or Workers Rights!



In Liberia, the government has arbitrarily fired health workers who were on the front lines of the fight against Ebola; simply because they were trying to ensure adequate protection and working conditions for public workers. Before you consider traveling to or investing in Liberia, think about whether you really want to support a regime which treats health heroes as disposable goods.



Learn more about how to stand up for the rights of Liberian workers by watching the video above and signing the petition below!

Tell the World Bank to stop promoting water privatization

16 June 2016
Photo: Kate Holt - Africa Practice - Creative Commons
PSI is working with a number of allies to put pressure on the World Bank to stop promoting water privatization under the disguise of public private partnerships (PPPs). Send a letter to the World Bank Executive Director representing your country asking that the World Bank end all support for water privatization!

The right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association for disenfranchised workers

25 May 2016
construction worker

In his upcoming report to the UN General Assembly to be presented in October 2016, the Special Rapporteur will examine the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association (FOAA) for disenfranchised workers.

Tunisia : General strike due to negotiations deadlock

20 May 2016
Union protestors in Tunis

On 19 May, health workers in Tunisia, members of PSI affiliate Fédération Générale de la Santé (FGS), organised a general strike in all the country’s hospitals (general, regional and teaching hospitals) following the deadlock in negotiations between the union and the Tunisian Health Ministry.

Water and Sanitation are Human Rights, NOW!

21 March 2016
logo

On 22 March, PSI celebrated World Water Day. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 requires that governments ensure universal access to water and sanitation by 2030. However, we are seeing a new push for public-private partnerships (PPPs). We know that PPPs fail to deliver social and environmental targets, and PSI will help affiliates block this approach. We call for a rights-based approach, with public finance and management in the interests of all.

Privatization Watch Newsletter - All issues

05 September 2018

This PSI bulletin provides an overview of global trends in privatization of public services and is part of PSI’s global campaign against privatization.

Women's rights beyond the business case: ensuring corporate accountability

01 September 2018

Together with a wide range of organisations under the umbrella of the Feminists for a Binding Treaty coalition, PSI has participated in the production of this briefing that highlights the importance of a binding gender-just international accountability framework for Transnational Corporations (TNCs).

Trade Unions in Transformation

31 July 2018
Photo: Striking dressmakers take a break in diner, ca. 1955 by Kheel Center - CC BY 2.0

With “trade unions in transformation«, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) contributes to shifting the narrative about trade unions. Moving away from the standard depiction of unions as victims of globalization, this project highlights that unions do have agency and power. The stories of successful trade union action told in this brochure demonstrate how labour can and already does shape globalization.

SDG6: Water and sanitation are fundamental services, privatization is not a means of implementation!

10 July 2018

The ambition and breadth of the UN's Sustainable Development Agenda has been the object of both praise and ridicule. This report examines the challenges facing the implementation of SDG6, water and sanitation, and the bold strategies required to overcome them.

To ensure sustainable waste services, we must value waste workers and make sure they are in decent jobs

09 July 2018

Extract from the Civil Society Report "Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2018" - the new global report assesses obstacles and contradictions in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Report: Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2018

09 July 2018

PSI is a partner of the Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and together with other civil society organizations and networks has produced the annual Spotlight Report assessing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the structural obstacles in its realization.

Alternatives to PPPs – growing instances of de-privatization

09 July 2018

Extract from the Civil Society Report "Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2018" - the new global report assesses obstacles and contradictions in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Inter-American Regional Executive Committee & Women’s Committee - IAMREC/IAMWOC (Panama)

04 June 2018

Between the 1st and 3rd of August, the meeting of the Inter-American Regional Executive Committee (IAMREC) will be held in Panama City. On the same occasion, the meeting of the Regional Women's Committee of Inter-American PSI and an international seminar on corporate power will take place.

Africa Non-Academic, Academic and Research Workers Educational Network meeting (Kenya)

04 May 2018

The Africa Non-Academic, Academic and Research Workers Educational Network (ANARWEN) meeting is being held at the Meridian hotel in Nairobi (Kenya) on 4-5 May 2018. The meeting aims at fostering and building solidarity towards enhancing trade union rights, fighting PPPs in the education sector and providing a platform for sharing best practices, including challenges facing the education sector in this region.

Financing for Development (FfD) forum (New York)

24 April 2018

PSI is participating in the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up (FfD) at the United Nations in New York (23-26 April), represented by Helene Davis-Whyte (JALGO, Jamaica) and Richard Amparbeng (PSWU, Ghana) with the support of Sandra Vermuyten, PSI Head of Campaigns.

Workshop on Public-Private Partnerships versus public sector solutions (Nigeria)

03 April 2018

This workshop on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) versus public sector solutions will be held in Lagos, Nigeria from 3-4 April. It will cover issues such as PSI’s campaign against the privatization of public services, the 2030 Agenda and current global policy issues.

PSI Health and Social Services Task Force meeting

14 February 2018

PSI affiliates in the health and services sectors join in Geneva for the first post-congress Taskforce meeting to discuss the implementation of the Program of Action

International Workshop: Strengthening Public Policies for the 2030 Agenda

29 November 2017

PSI is attending an international workshop in Beirut, organised by the Reflection group on the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

Video: All migrants have the right to have economic and social rights

14 March 2016

Statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, addressing the PSI - EPSU - ETUI seminar “Public Services Welcoming Migrants: Strengthening the role of public service trade unions in the protection of human rights and delivery of public services to migrants, asylum seekers and refugees” in Brussels, Belgium on 15 March.

PSI at the 14th Coordination Meeting on International Migration - 4th meeting

03 March 2016

Geneviève Gencianos, Public Services International (PSI) Migration Programme Coordinator, participating in the 4th meeting of the 14th Coordination Meeting on International Migration, organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) at the United Nations in New York, 25-26 February 2016.

PSI at the 14th Coordination Meeting on International Migration - 2nd meeting

03 March 2016

Geneviève Gencianos, Public Services International (PSI) Migration Programme Coordinator, participating in the 2nd meeting of the 14th Coordination Meeting on International Migration, organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) at the United Nations in New York, 25-26 February 2016.

Adriano Campolina, ActionAid, speaks about taxation

25 February 2016

Interview with Adriano Campolina, Executive Director of ActionAid International, at the PSI-FES Global Labour Tax Summit that took place in Geneva, Switzerland on 17-18 September 2015.

Video: Update from COP21

05 December 2015

Anabella Rosemberg‎, ITUC, giving an update from the Paris climate summit on 5 December on the negotiations that risk removing a commitment to human rights and “Just Transition” to a low carbon future.

Missing Tax

10 November 2015
Missing Tax
Source: Flickr

US corporations alone managed to shift $500-700 billion - a quarter of their annual profits - out of countries where the money was made and into a handful of low- or no-tax jurisdictions. The missing tax has real consequences. Across the world, falling government revenues are having a direct human cost for some of the poorest people through cuts to essential services.

Video: Solidarity, Strength, Service

08 October 2015

Ritta Thandeka Msibi, PSI Vice-President, DENOSA, South Africa underlines how #AFRECON2015 has served to strengthen solidarity among PSI-affiliated unions in the country and region.