Many Regional Economic Communities, and other instances of regional or sub-regional inter-state cooperation, set objectives on social matters and to this end draw up policies that aim to improve living and working conditions and to achieve social progress. To achieve these objectives, some regional communities have established consultative mechanisms, which include social partners’ representation – that is, either national organizations of social partners, or organizations specifically set up to represent collectively the rights and interests of employers and workers at the regional level. Overall, such regional social dialogue mechanisms may take different forms and be endowed with different mandates. They represent an important form of contemporary cross-border social dialogue.