International trade (“trade”), characterized as the worldwide exchange of goods and services (i.e., trade in goods (TIG) and trade in services (TIS))is a key driver of economic growth and overall development(Alvarez, Barbero, Rodríguez-Pose, & Zofío, 2018). As the World Bank (WB, 2018, para. 1) points out: “Countries that are open to international trade tend to grow faster, innovate, improve productivity and provide higher income and more opportunities to their people. Open trade also benefits lower-income households by offering consumers more affordable goods and services. Integrating with the world economy through trade and global value chains helps drive
economic growth and reduce poverty—locally and globally.” Given its impact on development, trade naturally affects a broad range of specific sectors within a country—including the labor and employment sector(Nunn and Trefler, 2014;Kaukab, 2010). True enough, different facets of the importation and exportation of goods and services have wide-ranging impacts—both positively and negatively—on various labor and employment areas, specifically in terms of the four (4) pillars of decent work: employment; social dialogue; rights at work; and social protection (Kruger, 2013; Häberli, Jansen, and Monteiro, 2012;Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], International Labour Organization [ILO], World Bank [WB], and World Trade Organization [WTO], 2010; Orbeta, 2002).
Title: DOLE's Role in Promoting Decent Work in Internation Trade: Institutional Mapping and Gap Analysis
Researcher: John Emmanuel B. Villanueva & Cesar A. Mansal