Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist and already in 2009, 17 union leaders have been murdered. Hundreds of union leaders have been killed since the Uribe Administration came to power in 2002, yet the Obama Administration is still considering the passage of a Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Colombia. ILRF has outlined the reasons why the current Colombian government should not be rewarded with an FTA in the near future.

Any certification program for ethical products must truly tackle the root causes of factory and farm sweatshop conditions in global supply chains. These programs should address the power imbalance inherent in current sourcing relationships that lead to rock-bottom product prices, contractor non-compliance, and poverty wages for workers. Credible certification systems should incorporate as basic and starting principles: a living wage for workers, independent worker organization, and fair pricing for contractors.

This is testimony to the United States Trade Representative delivered by ILRF on April 24, 2009 explains recent developments regarding labor rights violations in the Philippines. The testimony is related to the Generalized System of Preferences petition ILRF filed against the Philippines in 2007 based on the widespread attacks on workers' right to organize.

ILRF is urging shareholders of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Corporation to support a resolution requesting company management to produce a report on its portfolio companies’ practices in the areas of labor and human rights and other issues related to the environmental and social impact of their business activities. This memo was sent on April 13, 2009 to the leading shareholder advisory services by ILRF and International Rivers, a nongovernmental organization concerned with the impact of dams on communities and the environment, urging a “yes” vote on this proposal.