Centro de Derechos Económicos y Sociales (CDES)

CDES supports social organizations in their efforts to influence social and economic policy, starting from a human rights framework. Together with trade unions, farmers' organizations and indigenous communities, the organization strives for more justice in fiscal matters, in the management of public resources, in labor legislation, in the management of natural resources, in the behavior of companies, in trade agreements, etc. Through its knowledge of the dossier and expertise, CDES has acquired a place in Ecuador as an authority and opinion maker on economic and social justice. The organization is one of the most dynamic members of the Latin American network Latindadd, another partner organization of 11.11.11. 

A fair economic policy 

CDES identifies unjust socio-economic situations, investigates and documents them, develops alternative proposals, brings them to the press together with social organisations, and tries to enter into dialogue with official bodies where possible. The cases are very diverse – ranging from the privileges granted to pharmaceutical companies to the accumulation of new debts by the government, corruption scandals, to technical measures at the macro-economic level – but an attempt is also made to respond to the context as much as possible. 

CDES works closely with trade unions, for collective bargaining and other actions to defend labour rights. One of the major, emblematic cases in Ecuador in which CDES plays an important role concerns the denunciation of modern forms of slavery in the abaca plantations of the Japanese company Furukawa; the abaca is a strong fibre with a market in Europe, the Philippines and China. The workers work and live on the plantations in such miserable conditions that the government felt obliged to intervene. However, the workers must continue to insist on the observance of their rights, together with CDES. Through this case, the terrible working and living conditions in the agro-export sector are denounced more generally. 

CDES supports indigenous organisations in developing alternative proposals for a sound, fair macro-economic policy. This task is extremely relevant, since the government has set up consultation bodies with indigenous organisations after the protests, in order to try to include some of their proposals in the economic policy. CDES brings the necessary expertise to the often complicated dossiers.  

Furthermore, CDES is still supporting the now legendary Texaco-Chevron case. More than 20 years ago, local and social organizations started a lawsuit against the company, because of the pollution of the Amazon region due to the irresponsible procedures for oil extraction. The company was indeed sentenced to pay a huge amount of compensation to the local population, but continues to look for all kinds of legal ways to avoid having to pay. Worse still, in the meantime it demanded compensation from the Ecuadorian state. Due to the continued efforts, this case is now one of the most discussed scandals in the field of companies, human rights and the environment in the world. It is also one of the basis for an initiative to hold companies responsible for human rights violations. CDES is fighting together with an international network for a binding treaty on human rights and companies within the UN. 

trade agreement 

Ecuador signed a free trade agreement with the European Union in 2017, as neighbouring countries Peru and Colombia had already done in 2013. In principle, increased trade with the EU should not be at the expense of nature and labour rights, as is also laid down in a special chapter of the treaty on 'sustainable development'. However, practice in Peru and Colombia shows that these commitments regarding rights and the environment are ultimately not taken seriously, and that it is necessary to keep this on the agenda. CDES therefore monitors the trade agreement together with labour and environmental organisations, and puts the problems in this regard on the table in order to enforce improvements. For example, a complaint was filed about the poor working conditions in banana cultivation, also at companies that export to the EU. More generally, CDES supports the organisations in their request not to sign additional free trade agreements, because they do not improve the living conditions of the population.