The initial focus of SSTC endeavours has been mainly on fighting child labour and promoting social protection, which represent the ILO’s largest development cooperation programmes in Brazil. Recently, there has been a diversification to include other decent work areas, such as eliminating forced labour, promoting green jobs, sectoral matters, fundamental principles and rights at work, promoting gender equality and migration.
Two SSTC Memoranda of Understanding were signed in December 2007 and March 2008. The first focused on the prevention and elimination of child labour and the second on promoting social protection in several regions, with a special focus on Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa (PALOP).
The most comprehensive legal framework agreement was signed in March 2009 by the ILO Director-General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, entitled the “
Complementary Agreement to the Technical Cooperation Agreement with Latin American and African Countries for the Implementation of the ILO - Brazil Partnership Programme for the Promotion of South-South Cooperation”. This agreement organized Brazil’s cooperation with the ILO under the four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda, giving priority to promoting the fundamental principles and rights at work and social protection for all. It still serves as an umbrella for all ILO-Brazil initiatives.