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Four Doctor/PhD members of the Institute have been involved in important UN events

Poverty and public diplomacy are closely interconnected. Although poverty is traditionally approached as an economic, social or development challenge, it is also a matter of representation, participation, international cooperation and diplomatic power.
Public diplomacy can contribute to addressing poverty by giving individuals, communities and civil society organisations the opportunity to influence international discussions, policies and decisions that affect their lives.
Equally, poverty limits people's ability to participate in public and international affairs, creating inequalities in whose voices are heard, whose interests are represented and whose priorities shape global agendas.

Are the interests of people living in poverty adequately represented in UN negotiations?

826 000 000

People living in extreme poverty worldwide.

Who speaks for the world's poorest people at the United Nations?

284 000 000

Workers living in extreme poverty (US$3 per person per day).

Who ensures working families have a voice in global policymaking?

Gap

Weak representation of working people and families experiencing poverty in international policymaking and global governance.

Our Work

The Institute works to connect working families' grassroots realities with international decision-makers ( Labor Diplomacy)

How Is the Diplomatic Representation of the Working Poor Different from Trade Union Representation?

Trade unions play an essential role in protecting workers' rights, negotiating wages and improving employment conditions. However, their traditional mandate primarily focuses on labour relations and the interests of their members.

The Institute's proposed approach, Labour Diplomacy, addresses a broader dimension of representation. It focuses on the wider socioeconomic interests of working people and their families, including whose circumstances are not adequately reflected in traditional labour structures.

While trade union representation centres on collective bargaining, labour rights and negotiations with employers and governments, Labour Diplomacy seeks to bring household realities and priorities into international economic and social policymaking.

This broader approach encompasses not only employment and income, but also access to affordable healthcare, housing, education, social protection and economic security. It connects grassroots perspectives with international institutions, multilateral processes and global decision-makers.

The two approaches are complementary but serve different purposes: trade unions represent workers in labour relations, while Labour Diplomacy seeks to strengthen the international representation of working people and their families as a wider socioeconomic constituency.