Osasco Conference Declaration
As delegates from the Global Asbestos Congress, we hereby declare our intention to constitute and participate in a new network: the Global Asbestos Congress Virtual Network. Our first undertaking as members of this network is to issue the Osasco Declaration.
We do solemnly affirm our intention to:
- support and participate in global efforts to promote solidarity amongst anti-asbestos campaigners, groups and other organisations;
- campaign to achieve asbestos bans in our home countries and abroad;
- assist globally dispersed asbestos victims in their efforts to sue multinational asbestos companies; equal suffering and incapacity deserve equal compensation;
- denounce and publicize attempts by asbestos companies to transfer discredited asbestos technologies from the first world to the developing world;
- ensure a free flow of information on asbestos developments including updates on legal decisions, medical research, new legislation;
- lobby politicians, trade unions and others for the adoption of just transition policies, so that steps will be taken sooner rather than later to phase out asbestos jobs and life-threatening working conditions;
- consider asbestos problems and solutions in a global context;
- act in concert with our colleagues abroad all the while respecting our social and cultural differences;
- share personal and professional experiences of the asbestos struggle so that strategies which have succeeded in one country can be adopted elsewhere;
- monitor the behaviour and profitability of asbestos companies and their successor companies.
November 21, 2000
