DALLAS, TX – Dec. 19, 2016 – Jordan W. Cowman, a shareholder in the Dallas office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, served as the U.S. Employers Delegate to the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Meeting of Experts to Adopt a Revised Code of Practice on Safety and Health in Ports, held in Geneva, Switzerland, Nov. 21-30. Cowman has represented U.S. Employers at the ILO since 2002. He was appointed as an expert by International Employers Organization (IOE), which chose only eight Employer experts from the 193 United Nations (UN) member nations through their highly selective process.
The ILO is unique among UN agencies in that it has a tripartite structure with workers, employers and governments all having a voice in shaping international labor and employment policy and standards. The ILO functions as an international parliament on international labor issues. Founded in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles, the ILO became the first specialized agency of the UN in 1949.
“I am extremely honored to have served as the Employers representative of the United States, and more specifically, represented U.S. business interests at the Meeting of Experts,” said Cowman.
At the Meeting of Experts, Cowman and his fellow ILO delegates representing Workers, Governments and Employers from around the world, revised and voted to adopt a new Code of practice on safety and health in seaports.
Cowman advises that U.S.-based companies conducting business across borders should not ignore the ILO. “I encourage U.S. businesses to pay close attention to the ILO. Active participation in the ILO’s activities and instrument drafting, including international labor standards, Conventions, Recommendations, Declarations and Codes provides U.S. businesses with a unique and important opportunity to craft, shape and design international labor policy,” Cowman said. “Having worked with the ILO through the U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB) for many years now, I am convinced that U.S. businesses need to better understand the importance of the ILO’s influence on national laws regulating business, and take a more proactive interest in this internationally-respected institution.”
Recognized as a leader in the legal profession by his peers, Cowman is a frequent speaker and contributor to publications on corporate compliance and international employment and labor law. He is admitted to practice in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Texas, and focuses his practice on international compliance and global human capital. He has a broad range of international experience representing and advising governments and international agencies on policy issues, as well as multinationals in industries including: logistics, technology, transportation, energy, defense, manufacturing, retail, banking, food, aviation, chemical, hospitality, insurance, manufacturing and private equity. Cowman is an active member of the Dallas community and has served as a past Chairman of the Texas Lyceum and the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
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