Labor and Employment
In the Summits of the Americas process, Heads of State and Government recognize that employment is the most direct way in which economic activity is linked to the improvement of the standard of living and that true prosperity can only be achieved if it includes protecting and respecting basic rights of workers as well as promoting equal employment opportunities and improving conditions for people in all countries in the region.
 
 





Mar del Plata, Argentina, 2005
IV Summit of the Americas


At the
Fourth Summit of the Americas, Heads of State and Government met to reaffirm the essential role that the creation of decent work has in order to meet their commitment to fight poverty and strengthen democratic governance. Leaders recognized the value of work as an activity that both dignifies and structures the lives of people, as an effective instrument for social interaction, and as a mean of participation of society.

In the
Declaration of Mar del Plata, aimed to generate decent and productive work, Leaders committed to implementing policies to create more and better jobs in rural and urban areas. They underlined that a strong ethical and human component has to be presented in these policies, placing the individual at the center of the work, the company and the economy.

Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their respect for the rights set forth by the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and they committed to effectively implement national labor laws.

Leaders highlighted the need for increasing investment in infrastructure in order to create favorable conditions for employment generation and to increase productivity. They also underlined, the importance of promoting education and training in order to create a well- educated and well- trained labor force.

In the Fourth Summit of the Americas
Plan of Action, Heads of State and Government committed to eliminate forced labor before 2010, and to eradicate by 2020, at the latest, the worst forms of child labor and reduce the number of children that work in violation of national laws.

Leaders reaffirmed the need to develop policies in order to eradicate discrimination at work, due to gender or ethnic reasons, as well as the need to increase opportunities for decent work for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Additionally, leaders underlined their commitment to reinforcing labor rights for all migrants and their families, and they expressed the need to develop inclusive policies and access to decent work.

Heads of State and Government committed to promote occupational health and safety conditions as well as to create effective labor inspection systems. In order to achieve this goal, leaders underlined the importance of promoting an inclusive social dialogue as a means to propose policies in this area.

 

 

 



Monterrey, Mexico, 2004
Special Summit of the Americas



In the search for sustained and equitable growth that contributes to long-term development, reduces poverty, eliminates hunger, and raises the standard of living, governments committed at the Special Summit in Monterrey to continue with the implementation of public policies that facilitate the creation of productive jobs. They also recognized that micro, small and medium size enterprises constitute a fundamental component for economic growth, employment creation, and poverty reduction in our countries and, therefore, committed to reduce the time and cost of establishing businesses in each country of the region and increase credit available to these enterprises. Additionally, they underscored the contribution of work, employment, and income to constructing a more just society and increasing social inclusion. Governments supported strengthening social security systems and addressing problems caused by unemployment through insurance systems and subsistence income programs. Cooperation among governments for the protection of human rights of all migrants, including migratory workers and their families, and the observance of labor laws applicable to them, was agreed to by leaders as well as the implementation of the Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Leaders recognized the importance of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor toward achieving these vital objectives.

 

 



Quebec City, Canada, 2001
Third Summit of the Americas



At the Quebec City Summit, governments agreed to put emphasis on developing a strong workforce through increased investment in training of human resources, to prevent child labor, to protect the rights of workers from occupational hazards, unemployment, discrimination based on gender, race or religion, and to incorporate vulnerable and marginalized groups into the workforce. In addition, governments committed to increase hemispheric participation through collaboration and meetings of the Ministers of Labor. Key international institutions, in particular the Organization of American States (OAS), the International Labor Organization (ILO), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), as well as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank (WB) were invited to consult and collaborate on the labor dimensions of the Summit of the Americas process.

 



Santiago, Chile, 1998
Second Summit of the Americas



The Santiago Summit Plan of Action committed to pursuing specific hemispheric objectives in collaboration with states' Ministries of Labor. Objectives included incorporation of socially-disadvantaged groups into the workforce including women, minorities, youth, the disabled and other vulnerable populations; addressing the issue of child labor; and providing quality programs to employees in the area of health and safety. Ministries of Labor were also called upon to exchange information and experiences on best practices in these areas.
 

 



Miami, Florida, USA, 1994 
First Summit of the Americas


With this in mind, governments identified labor issues in the hemisphere in the Miami Summit Plan of Action. Here, countries agreed to pursue sustainable development and worker rights and to eradicate poverty and discrimination in the hemisphere.

 
Third Summit of the Americas, Quebec City, Canada 2001


Labor
and
Employment

  .

Labor and Employment mandates from the Third Summit of the Americas

 


Recognizing that employment is the most direct way in which economic activity is linked to the improvement of the standard of living of our citizens and that true prosperity can only be achieved if it includes protecting and respecting basic rights of workers as well as promoting equal employment opportunities and improving working conditions for people in all countries in the region, with special attention to those in the informal sector, to people belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, other vulnerable persons including women, youth, indigenous, migrant workers, persons with disabilities and persons with HIV/AIDS; and noting the importance of investing in human resource development, of promoting employment security consistent with economic growth and developing mechanisms to assist workers with periods of unemployment, as well as of strengthening cooperation and social dialogue on labor matters among workers, their organizations, employers and governments:

  • Reaffirm the fundamental importance of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor, welcome the progress made through its Plan of Action adopted in 1998, support the preparatory process for the Twelfth Conference in 2001, and direct Ministers to build upon the Viña del Mar Declaration which focused on the social dimensions of globalization and the modernization of Labor Ministries, by collaborating in the examination of the labor dimension of the Summit of the Americas process, in order to identify areas of agreement and issues where further work needs to be done;

  • Respect the International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-Up, adopted in 1998, adopt and implement legislation and policies that provide for the effective application of core labor standards as recognized by the ILO and consider the ratification and implementation of fundamental ILO Conventions;

  • Consult and coordinate, domestically and regionally in the appropriate fora, with a view to contributing to raising the living standards and improving the working conditions of all people in the Americas; create a process for improved collaboration and coordination on the labor dimensions of the Summit of the Americas process between Labor Ministries and other appropriate ministries and key international institutions within the Americas that have a critical role to play in the improvement of labor conditions, in particular the OAS, the ILO, ECLAC, as well as the IDB and the World Bank;

  • Develop new mechanisms to increase the effectiveness of projects and other technical assistance designed to build the capacity of smaller economies and their institutions to effectively implement labor laws and standards and to foster equality of opportunity with respect to gender, among others, in strategies to promote employment, training, life-long learning and human resource development programs with the objective of promoting access to more and better employment in the new economy;

  • Strengthen the capacity of the Ministers of Labor to develop and implement effective labor and labor market policies; collaborate with employers and labor organizations to develop and generate information on labor markets; participate in dialogue, tripartite consultations and dispute resolution strategies; and adopt ongoing strategies and programs as a core element for professional development in the labor market;

  • Continue to work towards the elimination of child labor, and as a priority, promote the hemispheric ratification and implementation of the ILO Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention, 1999 (No. 182), work to bring national laws, regulations and policies into conformity with this Convention, and take immediate action to eliminate the worst forms of child labor;

  • Promote and protect the rights of all workers, in particular those of working women, and take action to remove structural and legal barriers as well as stereotypical attitudes to gender equality at work, addressing, inter alia, gender bias in recruitment; working conditions; occupational discrimination and harassment; discrimination in social protection benefits; women’s occupational health and safety; and unequal career opportunities and pay;


       

Quebec Plan of Action (complete version):  English | Spanish | French | Portuguese

Key documents in the area of Labor and Employment


 
 
 

 

Labor
and
Employment

       
  .

The Second Preparatory Meeting of the Inter–American Conference of Ministers of Labor
July 13th and 14th , 2005 (Mexico D.F., Mexico)

 

 


The Second Preparatory Meeting of the Inter–American Conference of Ministers of Labor of the OAS took place in Mexico City, July 13-14, immediately after the workshop on “Decent Work and Just Globalization” organized by the ILO. This Preparatory Meeting counted on the participation of the delegations of the Labor Ministers of 27 Member States of the OAS and of the representatives of organizations of employers and central labor union representatives from diverse sub regions of the hemisphere. These organizations of employers and central organizations of labor unions are grouped under CEATAL and COSATE respectively. The Preparatory Meeting was centered in the discussion and analysis of the project of the Declaration of Mexico that should be signed by the Ministers of Labor in the XIV CIMT which will take place in Mexico on September 26–27. The delegates of the Ministers of Labor, reaffirming their compromise with the Summit process, sent a communication to the Presidency of the SIRG in which the important contributions of the Ministers of Labor to the Summit process are emphasized for the attainment of the objectives and in which they agree to present their contributions to the SIRG. In finalizing the Second Preparatory Meeting, the delegations decided to get together in Washington DC for the Third Meeting, the 30 and 31st of August to continue negotiating the Declaration and Plan of Action of Mexico and to define their contributions to the Summit Process.

http://www.oas.org/udse/english/cpo_trab_14minist_prep.asp  http://www.oas.org/udse/english/cpo_trab_14minist_prep.asp 


  .

The Hemispheric Workshop on Decent Work and Just Globalization
July 11th and 12th , 2005 (Mexico D.F., Mexico)

 

 


The Hemispheric Workshop on Decent Work and Just Globalization, organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO), took place on the 11th and 12th of July in Mexico, with the attendance of 85 participants. The event represented an opportunity to analyze with government representatives from OAS member states, trade union leaders and employer organizations, the issue of the creation of decent work as principal element of development policies in countries in the American hemisphere, in a globalized world. The conclusions derived from the workshop were presented as inputs into the creation of a hemispheric work policy Participants addressed the topics of work and social development, balancing social and economic goals, technology and innovation in the workplace, occupational training and tripartite collaboration, the macroeconomic environment, policies for competitiveness and generation of quality employment, social dialogue and democracy. The workshop was structured to facilitate engagement of government, worker and business representatives from a broad range of countries. Speakers came from Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, St. Lucia, Suriname, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela."

Additional information and the results of the workshop are available on
http://www.oit.org.pe/thtd2005


  .

Workshop “Innovation and Decent Work”
March 7th and 8th , 2005 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
 

 


A two-day seminar in Buenos Aires on “Innovation and Decent Work” was organized by the OAS Office of Education, Science and Technology of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, in conjunction with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Summits of the Americas Secretariat.  The purpose of the seminar was to bring together members of the Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE) and the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL) to draft a common set of recommendations to present during the civil society dialogue at the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) meeting to be held immediately after the seminar.  COSATE and CEATAL are standing advisory committees which work with Ministries of Labor in a tripartite arrangement.  They will be fully engaged in the preparation of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML) to be held in Mexico, September 26-27.  The consensus document was produced and presented jointly by union and business representatives to national summit coordinators during the civil society dialogue on the second day of the SIRG.  (see http://www.oest.oas.org for the text of the document and presentations made at the seminar.) 

The seminar included presentations by the Minister of Labor of Argentina, the Director of the Office of Education, Science and Technology, the Deputy Secretary for Technical Programming and Labor Studies of the Argentine Ministry of Labor, a professor of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a Regional Director of the ILO, a Regional Specialist on Female Workers and Gender of the ILO, a Regional Specialist on Worker Education of the ILO, the President of CEATAL and the Deputy Secretary for Human Development of the Labor Ministry of Mexico. 

Specific links:
Spanish: http://www.oas.org/udse/espanol/cpo_trab_innovacion.asp

English: http://www.oas.org/udse/english/cpo_trab_innovacion.asp


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Planning Meeting of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML)
Washington D.C, January 31 and February 1st, 2005
 


At the Third Summit of the Americas held in Quebec, Canada in 2001, the Heads of State and Government of the Americas agreed to continue working on issues related to globalization which affects employment and labor, with the goal of creating better employment opportunities and improving worker’s qualifications and labor conditions throughout the Hemisphere.

The Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor will be held in Mexico City, on September 26 - 27, 2005. This hemispheric forum has continued approaching these topics and confronted current challenges such as the high levels of unemployment in the region, the need  to modernize labor conditions, increase labor stability and improve worker’s quality of life.

On January 31 and February 1st, 2005 the Planning Meeting for the XIV IACML was held in Washington D.C, The meeting was organized by the Office of Education, Science and Technology of the OAS, as the Technical Secretariat of the Inter American Conference of Ministers of Labor. Participants included: Conference’s Working Groups authorities, representatives from the Trade Union Advisory Counsil (COSATE); from the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL), and from the international organizations committed to the process including: the Organization of American States (OAS), the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO).

The main goal of the meeting was focused on making a revision of the activities done in 2004; define the calendar of events for IACML for the current year and coordinate the process of the IACML and the Fourth Summit of the Americas, which will be held in Argentina on November 4-5, 2005. 

The Summits of the Americas Secretariat, represented by it’s Director Dr. Luis Alberto Rodríguez presented to the participants the base document for the IV Summit of the Americas, “Creating Employment to Confront Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance" proposed by Argentina during the XXXVI meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) that was held in Washington on September 2004.

Authorities and other participants of the meeting reiterated the importance of involving the ministerial process with the activities of the IV Summit of the Americas, stressing in the most effective way to give recommendations to the SIRG, and be an active part of the process. 

During this event PAHO presented a plan to formalize an Intersectorial Strategic Alliance in the areas of health, labor, education, and environment. Dr. Maritza Tennassee, Chief of Risks Assessment and Management Unit, Sustainable Development and Environmental Health; made a presentation showing the challenges related to social security inequities. Emphasized the necessity to coordinate efforts to conduct an inter-ministerial meeting in the context of the preparation for IV Summit of the Americas.  Dr Tennassee explained that the purpose is to elaborate an intersectorial hemispheric proposal, to be considered as a Plan of Action for the Summit that extends social security to the most vulnerable groups.

The calendar of activities in the road for the IV Summit of the Americas was confirmed, among others:  

  • Workshop on Innovation and Decent Work March 7-8, Buenos Aires, Argentina, with participation from COSATE and CEATAL

  • Meeting of Working Groups 1 and 2 and Preparatory Meetings, April 11 – 13 in Buenos Aires and July 13 - 14 in Mexico City

  • Inter-Ministerial Meeting of the Working Group of the Strategic Alliance promoted by PAHO June 20, Buenos Aires, Argentina

  • XIV Ministerial Meeting of the IACML: September 26-27, Mexico, D.F.

The IACML authorities approved the agenda for the meetings, and established the issues that will be address on the Working Group meetings such as: the Feasibility Study of an Inter-American Cooperation Mechanism for Professional Labor Administration prepared by technicians from Brazil, Canada, and Mexico, and the analysis of the Inter-American Fund for the Promotion of Decent Work. 

Other issues to be considered during the Working Group meeting are: 

  • The impact of trade and economic integration on labor and employment

  • Professional training

  • Gender perspective in labor policies

  • Child labor

  • Labour administration

  • Labour and employment relations

  • Occupational safety and health

  • Micro, small and medium enterprises

For more information about the Planning Meeting visit: http://www.oas.org/udse/english/cpo_trab_iacml.asp. Click here to access the presentation by the Summit of the Americas Secretariat

 

  .

Andean Regional Conference on Employment
Lima, Peru, November 22 and 23, 2004
 

 


Under the framework of the Andean Regional Conference on Employment, the Labor Ministers of the Andean Regional Community agreed that the creation of employment should be the result of integral development policies which express, among other aspects, rapid and sustained economic growth based on the potentialities of the Andean countries’ internal resources, investment, strengthening of the internal market, encouragement of exports and competitive production. 

The signed agreement is found in the “Andean Declaration on integral development policies, work, and competitiveness” which gives priority to, among other subjects, the commitment to develop a strategic approach to the Andean region which allow for the elaboration of projects for the community to encourage good and decent work, vocational training, a reduction in the gap between men and women in the workforce, including the integration of women in a good and decent jobs, and the strengthening of the productive capacity of indigenous peoples.

The Declaration was signed by the Ministers of Labor from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. They agreed, in addition, and in coordination with the Andean Community General Secretariat, on the establishment of a space for dialogue and analysis with countries, organizations and participants which follows and promotes the objectives regarding development, work and productivity.

This Andean Conference on Employment was achieved thanks to the initiative of the Advisory Council of the Ministers of Labor of the Andean Community. It was organized by the General Secretariat of CAN, with the support from the ILO, the Andean Advisory Councils on Business and Labor, the Advisory Council of Finance Ministers, Central Banks and Economic Planning Organizations of the Andean Community.

The General Secretary of CAN, Ambassador Allan Wagner, emphasized in his speech that in addition to the importance of the theme of employment, the Andean Countries will soon face another very important development: the creation of the South American Community of Nations, which will take place in Cusco, Peru on December 8, 2004.
 

  .

XIII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (CIMT)

 


The XIII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (CIMT) was held on September 24-26, 2003, in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.  Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, as past, present and future chairs of the conference, form a collaborative partnership in order to guide the Ministerial process and provide continuity, with the OAS acting as the technical secretariat. Delegations from 27 countries of the hemisphere were represented at the Conference, along with representatives from trade unions, the private sector, regional institutions and multilateral organizations.

The Ministers met to address issues related to globalization and its effects on employment and labor in the Americas.  They issued the Declaration and Plan of Action of Salvador, which reaffirmed the principles and commitments enshrined in the Summits of the Americas process and the Inter-American Democratic Charter and laid out their objectives for the next two years.  Primary among their concerns are the impact of free trade on employment and the availability of decent work.

The Ministers also agreed to maintain the two working groups created by the two previous conferences.  Working Group 1 will examine the Labor Dimensions of the Summit of the Americas Process and is designed to analyze various globalization issues related to employment and labor for the purpose of identifying fundamental challenges and intensifying collaboration and cooperation in the Hemisphere.  Working Group 2 will continue with is work in Building Capacities of Labor Ministries and will focus on responding to the challenges of globalization and integration and free trade processes.  The central objective of this group is to develop tools to support ministries of labor, including their structure, legal framework, functions, and administration.

The Labor Ministerial process is unique insofar as it includes two groups that are critical to the discussion of labor issues: trade unions and the private sector.  The Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE) and the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL) are integral to the process and provide guidance and advice on a range of issues including the social and labor dimensions of regional and sub-regional integration and free trade processes in the Hemisphere.  These two groups issued a Joint Declaration, outlining areas of common concern and providing recommendations for action by the Ministers.  The role of multilateral institutions and regional agencies is also crucial to the successful implementation of the Quebec City mandates on labor and employment.  Ministers will intensify their dialogue and cooperation with the OAS, IACD, ILO, ECLAC, IDB, PAHO, CDB, CABEI, CAF, and the World Bank, while making best use of their comparative advantage in developing the capacity of smaller economies and their institutions.

The next Ministerial meeting will be held in Mexico in 2005.


  .

XII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor

 


The XII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor took place in Ottawa, Canada, on October 17-19, 2001.  Ministers met to discuss a wide range of issues from the impact of the events of September 11th on the economic and social well-being of working men and women of the hemisphere to the labor and employment dimensions of the Summit process.  Ministers also heard presentations from Cesar Gaviria, Secretary General of the OAS, the Director General of the International Labor Organization (ILO), as well as other international organizations such as the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), the UN Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).  The OAS provided technical secretariat support to the meeting. 

The focus of the meeting was the adoption by Ministers of the Ottawa Declaration and Plan of Action that, among other initiatives, created two working groups.  The first, Labor Dimensions of the Summit of the Americas process will the chaired by Uruguay.  The group will examine questions of globalization related to employment and labor to identify areas of consensus to work collectively and other issues requiring further analysis.  The second group is dedicated to institutional strengthening of labor ministries in order better enforce labor laws.   

Ministers also approved a statement against international terrorism and a declaration of support for the peace process in Colombia.  The next Inter-American Conference on Ministers of Labor will be held in Brazil in 2003.

Please click on the following links to see the Ottawa Declaration and Plan of Action:


 

 

 

 

XXXIII OAS General Assembly
Santiago, Chile
June 8-10, 2003


 

 

 

XXXII OAS General Assembly
Bridgetown, Barbados
June 2-4, 2002


 

  • AG/RES. 1858 (XXXII-O/02) Report of the XII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor

    This Resolution thanks the Government of Canada for organizing and conducting the XII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor, and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil for holding the XXIII Conference in Rio de Janeiro (October 2003). It also instructs the General Secretariat to continue supporting the process of such meetings and the development of multilateral projects in Member States.

 

 

 

XXXI OAS General Assembly
San José, Costa Rica
June 3-5, 2001

 

  • AG/RES. 1809 (XXXI-O/01) Twelfth Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor

    This Resolution notes the convening of the Twelfth Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor, to be held in Ottawa, Canada, from October 17 to 19, 2001. The Secretary General is asked to lend technical and secretariat support for the execution of the preparatory meetings and in follow up to the mandates from the Second and Third Summits of the Americas in the area of labor. At the same time, the Resolution recommends to Member States that they, with the support of the Unit for Social Development and Environment and in coordination with the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD), encourage the development of multilateral projects linked to Summit mandates.


 

 
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