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| StreetNet International | |
|---|---|
| Name | StreetNet International |
| Formation | 2002 |
| Type | Network of informal workers' organizations |
| Headquarters | Durban, South Africa |
| Region served | Global |
StreetNet International is an international network of organizations representing informal economy workers, particularly street vendors, market traders, hawkers, and allied informal traders. Founded in 2002, the network emerged from regional federations and grassroots movements seeking recognition from bodies such as the International Labour Organization, the United Nations and regional institutions. StreetNet links local collectives with global actors including International Trade Union Confederation, United Nations Human Rights Council, and municipal coalitions in cities like Durban, Mumbai, and Lagos.
StreetNet's roots trace to regional alliances and social movements active in the 1990s and early 2000s, including networks in South Africa, India, Brazil, and West Africa. Key precursors included grassroots federations that mobilized around events such as the World Trade Organization protests and engagements with the International Labour Organization's Decent Work agenda. Founding gatherings convened representatives from networks in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe to draft a charter reflecting principles from campaigns like the Global Labour Institute's informal economy work and the International Trade Union Confederation's outreach to non-traditional workers. Over subsequent decades, StreetNet officials participated in international fora such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development dialogues and the Habitat III process.
Membership comprises national and local organizations of street vendors, market traders, and informal workers from regions including Southern Africa, West Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Affiliates include federations and unions that operate alongside entities like SACCAWU, SEWA, Syndicatos in Latin America, and municipal associations in cities such as Delhi, Johannesburg, and São Paulo. Institutional links have been fostered with research partners such as WIEGO, academic departments at institutions like London School of Economics, University of Cape Town, and civil society coalitions including ITUC and Friends of the Earth. Membership criteria emphasize democratic representation similar to standards observed by bodies like the International Trade Union Confederation.
StreetNet advances objectives centered on recognition, tenure security, and livelihood protection for informal traders, aligning its agenda with instruments of the International Labour Organization and human rights frameworks promoted at the United Nations. Activities include capacity-building workshops modeled after programs by ILO and UN-Habitat, legal support mirroring strategic litigation associated with organizations like Amnesty International in property and human rights cases, and data collection inspired by methodologies from WIEGO and academic partners at University of Manchester. The network organizes exchanges comparable to international worker education initiatives led by Global Labour University and convenes assemblies to adopt policy positions influencing municipal ordinances observed in cities like Nairobi and Kolkata.
Campaigns have targeted formal recognition of vending spaces, protection from eviction, and inclusion in social protection schemes advocated within platforms such as the International Labour Conference and UN Human Rights Council sessions. Strategic alliances have included collaborations with UN-Habitat on urban planning, joint statements with International Trade Union Confederation on informal worker rights, and participatory research projects with WIEGO. StreetNet has campaigned alongside movements like La Via Campesina on food vendors' access and with organizations that focus on gendered labor issues similar to Self Employed Women's Association campaigns. Regional and city-level campaigns have engaged municipal actors in Accra, Lima, and Durban to negotiate regulatory frameworks.
The network is governed by a coordinating committee and periodic congresses that mirror representative structures used by international federations such as Public Services International and Global Union Federations. Leadership rotates among regional representatives drawn from constituent organizations across continents, following democratic procedures akin to those adopted by bodies like the International Trade Union Confederation. Regional coordinators maintain liaison with local affiliates and partner institutions in academic and policy spheres, including collaborations that reflect governance models used by WIEGO and global civil society coalitions. Secretariat functions have been hosted in cities with strong street vendor movements including Durban and other urban centers.
Funding sources include grants and partnerships with foundations and international agencies similar to those that support labor and urban poverty work—entities comparable to Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and bilateral development agencies engaged in urban livelihoods. Project funding has come from multilateral institutions involved in urban development such as UN-Habitat and the International Labour Organization, alongside research grants from universities like University of Oxford and networks like WIEGO. Partnerships extend to municipal authorities in cities such as Belo Horizonte and Ahmedabad for pilot programs, and collaborations with advocacy NGOs including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on rights-based campaigns.
StreetNet has influenced policies recognizing informal traders' rights in several municipalities, contributed to discourse at UN fora, and supported legalization or negotiated trading spaces in countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Impact assessments have drawn on research by WIEGO, case studies from University of Cape Town, and evaluations used by development agencies. Criticisms include debates over representation legitimacy similar to critiques faced by transnational networks like Global Labour Institute, concerns about dependency on external funding akin to broader NGO discussions involving Oxfam and questions about engagement with governmental authorities mirrored in critiques of entities like ILO programs. Academic analyses from institutions such as London School of Economics and University of Manchester have examined these tensions between grassroots autonomy and institutional partnerships.
Category:Labour movements Category:Informal sector