Socialist International Council

Following its establishment at the last Socialist International Council meeting in Mexico, the SI Committee on Social Cohesion, Poverty and HIV/AIDS, held its first meeting in Vienna, in the Austrian Parliament on 22 May 2009, bringing together leaders and representatives of SI member parties from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America (List of Participants) to discuss an agenda which focused on ‘Fighting poverty in times of economic crisis’ and ‘Social Cohesion: a Social Democratic priority in the struggle for a fair society’.

The meeting was opened by the SI Secretary General, Luis Ayala, who highlighted the global nature of the issues to be discussed, as no single problem in today’s world could be taken in isolation. The large political family that was the Socialist International had globalised social democracy, he said, and we had every reason to be ambitious in our aims, pressing ahead in addressing the crucial issues of poverty and social cohesion, along with HIV/AIDS, as we work for a new international framework to deal with all the major challenges on the global agenda and in order to be coherent in our commitment to democracy and a more inclusive, fair and hopeful society.
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