Brazil

The purpose of NHOs project in Brazil is to create a social dialog between the social partners. Cooperating together with NHO on this projects are the employers organisations; Federação das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo (FIESP), Fderação das Indústrias do Estado de Rio de Janeiro (FIRJAN) and Confederação Nacional da Indústria (CNI).

The National Confederation of Industry (Confederação Nacional da Indústria - CNI) is the chief institutional representative of Brazilian industry. The CNI co-ordinates a system comprising 27 Federations of Industry which represent all of the Country's States and the Federal District - counting with a membership of some 1,016 employers' unions - and oversees the National Industrial Training Service (SENAI), the Industrial Social Service (SESI), and the Euvaldo Lodi Institute (IEL).

FIESP and FIRJAN are the most important employer organisations in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro.

The cooperation between the Brazilian employer’s organisations and NHO started in relation to the Norwegian Minister of Development Mr. Erik Solheim’s visit to Brazil in 2006. In the autumn of 2007 a MoU was signed between CNI and NHO as a part of Presidents Lula’s visit to Norway.

The purpose of the cooperation between NHO and the CNI is to promote social dialog in Brazil. Though work shops on; decent work, cleaner production, CSR –”best practice” and also in the future anti corruption, with both NHO and CNI, FIRJAN and FIESP representatives participating, we hope to raise awareness on these issues and promote social dialog in Brazil.