1.
To congratulate and thank the Government of Brazil for its work
to organize and hold the XIII Inter-American Conference of Ministers
of Labor.
2.
To endorse the “Salvador Declaration” and the “Salvador
Plan of Action,” which were adopted by the ministers of labor of the
Hemisphere at the XIII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of
Labor, and are attached to this resolution.
3.
To thank the Government of Mexico for its generous offer to
host the XIV Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor, October
17 and 18, 2005.
4.
To instruct the General Secretariat, through the Unit for
Social Development and Education and in coordination with the
Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, to continue supporting
the process for preparation and follow-up of meetings in the labor
sector.
5.
To request CIDI to report to the General Assembly at its
thirty-fifth regular session on the implementation of this resolution.
THE
SALVADOR DECLARATION
1.
We, the Ministers participating in the XIII Inter-American
Conference of Ministers of Labor of the Organization of American
States, met in the city of Salvador, State of Bahia, Federal Republic
of Brazil, on September 24, 25 and 26, 2003, to address issues related
to globalization which affect employment and labor in the Americas.
2.
We reaffirm our strong commitment to the principles of
inter-American solidarity and cooperation of the Charter of the
Organization of American States (OAS), to pool our efforts to achieve
integral development, which encompasses the economic, social,
educational, cultural, scientific, and technological fields.
We emphasize that equality of opportunity, the elimination of
extreme poverty, the equitable distribution of wealth and income, and
the full participation of citizens in decisions related to their own
development are, inter alia,
basic objectives of integral development. To attain such objectives,
we agree to dedicate our efforts to achieve, among other goals, the
equitable distribution of national income, the payment of fair wages,
opportunities for employment, and labor conditions that are consistent
with internationally accepted standards.
3.
We recall the Inter-American Democratic Charter,
approved by the OAS in Lima, Peru, in September 2001 and, in
particular, Article 10, which recognizes that the promotion and
strengthening of democracy require the full and effective exercise of
workers’ rights and the application of core labor standards, as
recognized in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration
on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and its Follow-up,
adopted in 1998, as well as other related basic ILO conventions.
Democracy is strengthened by improving working conditions,
labor stability and enhancing the quality of life for workers in the
Hemisphere. The OAS
members restate their commitment to adopting and implementing all
those actions required to generate gainful employment, reduce poverty,
and eradicate extreme poverty, taking into account the different
economic realities and conditions of the countries of the Hemisphere,
as recognized in article 12 of the Charter.
4.
We emphasize our firm commitment to the goals of
the UN Millennium Declaration and, in particular, the eradication of
extreme poverty, creating and enabling people everywhere to find
decent and productive work. We
are committed to the tasks of improved governance and transparency
identified in the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference
on Financing for Development.
5.
Our deliberations are framed by the commitments
agreed to in the Third Summit of the Americas, held in Quebec, Canada
in April 2001. At that
time, the Heads of State and Government of the Americas instructed us
to continue addressing issues related to the effects of globalization
on employment and labor, the objectives of creating greater employment
opportunities, improving workers’ skills, and improving labor
conditions throughout the Hemisphere.
6.
We note that the upcoming Special Summit of the
Americas, to be held in Mexico, will focus on equitable economic
growth, social development, and democratic governance.
We recognize that our efforts to support the integral
development of our peoples are consistent with the objectives of the
Special Summit. We commit to working through the Summit of the Americas
process, including the Special Summit, to accomplish our objectives.
7.
We recall the Ottawa Declaration of the XII
Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor, held in Canada in
October 2001, in which we emphasized our commitment to create more and
better employment as an effective means of combating poverty in the
region. At that meeting, we approved a Plan of Action that created two
Working Groups: one to examine the social and labor dimensions of the
Summit of the Americas process, and the other to find ways to build
the capacity of Ministries of Labor and institutions to more
effectively implement labor legislation and better carry out their
mission.
8.
We follow attentively the development of the
different processes of regional and subregional integration as well as
of bi- and multilateral free trade agreements that are implemented in
the Hemisphere, as well as their social and labor impacts.
Likewise, we observe that each of those processes has generated
instruments for promoting development of the social and labor
dimension, according to the characteristics, traditions and will of
the participant states and the level of participation of the national
and regional social actors. In
this sense, we recognize the existence of specific and sensitive labor
problems in these processes that may require the adoption of
appropriate policies that facilitate harmonious hemispheric
integration, in accordance with the priority demanded by each specific
situation.
9.
We
reaffirm our commitment to the 1998 Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work of the International Labor Organization
(ILO), which provides the foundation for broad-based sustainable
development and social justice through full respect for the
internationally recognized fundamental labor rights.
We recall the agreement of our leaders to adopt and implement
legislation and policies that provide for the effective application of
the labor principles and rights recognized in the Declaration.
10.
We reaffirm our conviction that decent work, as
conceived by the ILO leadership, is the most effective instrument for
the improvement of living conditions for the peoples of our Hemisphere
and their participation in the benefits of material and human
progress. We embrace the
idea that decent work is necessary for sustainable development in each
of our countries, and is a condition for the success of hemispheric
economic integration. For
that reason, the agenda for decent work
should become the axis for national and regional development policies,
together with investment in health, education, and culture.
In addition, we reaffirm our commitment to integrate the gender
perspective in the development and implementation of all labor
policies.
11.
We
recall that respect for the principles and rights recognized in the
ILO Declaration and the promotion of decent work as foundations for
inclusive globalization were central themes of the discussion agenda
during the Fifteenth American Regional
Meeting held in Lima, Peru, in December 2002.
12.
We have viewed with great interest the activities
carried out in the region by the ILO World Commission on the Social
Dimension of Globalization and we look forward to reviewing its final
report.
13.
We note with concern that the adverse economic
situation in many of our countries, the slowing of growth in the world
economy, and the reduction in social investment have had negative
effects on the education, health, welfare, and living conditions of the
working population, their families, and the community.
In many places, increased unemployment, the deterioration of
working conditions and the reduction in the purchasing power of
salaries have contributed to the deepening of social and gender
inequality.
14.
We
caution that the policies implemented by our countries in the process
of globalization sometimes do not achieve sustainability or
reactivation of economic growth and, consequently, opportunities for
employment are reduced. We
recognize the importance of taking into account the impact of such
policies on employment and the standard of living of the population.
Social and employment policies should take priority in the
political and economic agendas of our countries to permit the
successful adaptation of our peoples to the global economy, and to
ensure more equitable access to the benefits of globalization.
15.
We also note that in many of our countries the opportunities
offered by technological innovations and by the dissemination of
telecommunications resources do not always translate into benefits to
workers and their families. This
can result in maintaining and even exacerbating the gulf between those
that participate in human progress and those that are excluded from
it.
16.
We
direct our attention toward the segments of the population most
affected by economic crises. These
tend to be the persons who also suffer from ills, such as illiteracy
or limited formal education, lack of vocational skills, misinformation
about the labor market, discrimination, lack of social protection and
the breakdown of group and family ties.
These factors, which often coexist, expose certain segments of
the population to intolerable forms of work and condemn them to an
existence that is incompatible with human dignity.
For this reason, member states should take steps appropriate to
their situations. Such
steps could include the development of national action plans on decent
work, with the assistance of the ILO, and action plans to effectively
implement ILO Conventions 138 and 182, and to combat the sexual
exploitation of and trafficking in persons, especially women,
children, and adolescents, to eliminate forced and compulsory labor;
and to promote dignified and productive employment among those working
in the informal sector, women, adolescents, people with disabilities,
persons living with HIV/AIDS, migrants, and ethnic and religious
minorities, as well as generating an environment and conditions of
work that are healthy and safe.
17.
We are
convinced that economic growth and social progress are interdependent
and inter-related aspects of the same project for building prosperous,
united and equitable societies. Aware
of the challenges associated with the creation of decent and
productive employment in the context of globalization, we propose to
combine the capacities and efforts of our Labor Ministries and other
Ministries in the quest for ideas and practices capable of integrating
the economic, social and labor dimensions of the regional and national
policies of our Hemisphere.
18.
We propose a more active role for the Ministries of Labor in
the region, one that takes into account the need for the integration
of social, labor and economic policies, and the aspirations of
countries of the Hemisphere towards deepening their relations in
multiple areas, based on shared values and on the realization of
common interests. We
visualize this new role of the Labor Ministries in different but
analogous and complementary levels: at the domestic level, it is
important to establish and deepen the institutional relations of the
Labor Ministries with the areas of the State in charge of creating and
implementing economic policies; at the regional and hemispheric
levels, the fundamental issue is to incorporate this focus into the
regional and subregional integration and free trade processes.
Furthermore, we uphold the connection between labor policies and those
in the areas of education, health, culture, social and economic
equality, welfare and leisure, etc., within the framework of promoting
the integral development of the human being.
19.
For this reason we support and foster efforts to develop,
modernize, and strengthen the Ministries of Labor through regional
action that takes into account the important role of horizontal
cooperation and technical assistance.
To that effect, also, we support the proposal to conduct a
feasibility study of options for establishing a mechanism, under the
auspices of the IACML, oriented toward the modernization of labor
administrations, and also to increase international collaboration and
coordination in support of these objectives.
We will also study the possibility of creating an
inter-American mechanism to promote decent work and strengthen
training. In these
processes, we will consider the experiences and resources available in
member states and regional and international organizations, especially
the OAS, PAHO and ILO. The
countries of the region will contribute to the financing of the
aforementioned proposals according to their means.
20.
Socioeconomic
challenges cannot be faced exclusively through social policies, and
adequate consideration must be given to the economic policies
necessary to create the capacity to introduce and sustain the social
agenda. A social and labor agenda is an integral part of economic
growth and is a way of ensuring the equitable distribution of
benefits. Diverse factors, such as political instability and conflict,
poor policy and institutional frameworks, corruption, absence of
overall health, education and social welfare programs, lack of
infrastructure and access to technological changes, and unfavorable
investment climate, are conducive to poverty and inequality. An
integrated policy framework combining economic and social policies
must take account of the economic realities countries face in
implementing a comprehensive social agenda.
21.
The
integration of the economic and social development objectives also
requires stronger forms of interaction between governments and
citizens at the domestic, regional or hemispheric levels.
Freedom of association and the right to organize, social
dialogue, tripartism and other institutional means of social
participation are crucial for generating consensus on these matters.
We highly value the participation of the Trade Union Technical
Advisory Council (COSATE) and the Business Technical Advisory
Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL) in the IACML./
The Inter-American
Democratic Charter declares that citizen participation in development
issues is fundamental for the exercise and strengthening of democracy.
Social dialogue is the means for achieving the indispensable
agreements for ensuring decent work and respect for the basic rights
and dignity of people. We
want to intensify the dialogue and cooperation with regional and
international organizations that are active in the area of development
and labor in the Americas, principal among these being the
Organization of American States (OAS), the International Labour
Organization (ILO), the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), the
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the
Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF), the Central American Bank of
Economic Integration (CABEI), and the World Bank.
22.
We follow with interest
the negotiations for the formation of the Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA), in the framework of the Summit of the Americas
process for the purpose of facilitating the contribution of economic
integration to the strengthening of democracy, the creation of
prosperity, job creation, the reduction in poverty, sustainable
development, and the realization of human potential.
We emphasize the importance of considering the social and labor
components of hemispheric integration during all stages of the
negotiations process so that they will be given merited treatment.
The Labor Ministries must play an essential role in this
process.
23.
As stated in paragraph 5
of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
and its Follow-up, we reject the use of labor standards for protectionist purposes. We recall that the Declaration of the VII Meeting of the
Ministers of Trade of the Hemisphere, held in Quito, Ecuador, in
November of 2002, states that the creation of the FTAA, in order to
make viable its objectives, must promote goals that are oriented
toward economic development, the creation of jobs, and the effective
operation of the labor market in the Hemisphere.
In the same document, the Ministers of Trade also recognize the
need for greater participation by the various sectors of civil society
in the hemispheric initiative. We
are pleased to see progress in the participation of civil society in
this process.
24.
We
acknowledge that the activities carried out by the two Working Groups
established by the Ottawa Plan of Action have greatly contributed to a
better understanding of the social and labor dimensions of
globalization and of the modernization of Ministries of Labor.
We have reviewed their reports and noted with great interest
the areas of consensus and the themes that require further work.
We adopt the recommendations set forth in the two reports.
Such advances represent an excellent basis for implementing
policies and programs designed to promote decent work and strengthen
the labor administrations.
25.
We
recognize the importance of implementing more fully the labor
commitments expressed by our Heads of State and Government in the
Miami, Santiago and Quebec Summit of the Americas Declarations.
We recognize that having convergence between the Summit of the
Americas process and the negotiations for a Free Trade Area of the
Americas is beneficial.
26.
With the
objective of implementing actions conducive to the fulfillment of the
aforementioned goals and commitments,
WE RESOLVE:
A.
To
implement a Plan of Action based on this Declaration, on the
Declaration and Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas,
and on the work of the XII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of
Labor of the OAS, and to dedicate the necessary resources to reach
this goal.
B.
To
maintain the two working groups created by the two previous
conferences, with the functions defined at those conferences as
follows:
Working Group 1, Labor Dimensions
of the Summit of the Americas Process, will examine more in-depth
globalization issues that are related to employment and labor,
focusing on the implications of regional and subregional integration
and free trade processes in the Hemisphere for the purpose of
identifying fundamental challenges and intensifying collaboration and
cooperation in the Hemisphere in seeking the best solutions to these
challenges, with a strong emphasis on the integration of economic and
social policies.
Working Group 2, Building Capacity
of Labor Ministries will work on developing the ability of these
entities to respond to challenges of employment and labor in present
and future contexts, in horizontal and harmonious cooperation with
other entities in the social, health, education, trade, economic and
other areas.
In this sense, we commit ourselves
to make efforts to consult with the social actors, via COSATE and
CEATAL, regarding the social and labor dimensions of regional and
subregional integration and free trade processes in the Hemisphere,
and to work with them towards achieving decent work based on the
principles of social justice, freedom, equality, security and human
dignity.
C.
To
instruct the Working Groups to offer effective contributions toward
decent work and the well being of the citizens of the Hemisphere. To that end, the Working Groups will deepen the work of their
predecessors and will improve the systems to follow-up and evaluate
the results of the previous Plans of Action to the extent that they
help create decent work, promote productive employment and improve
health, education, social welfare, well-being, and living conditions
for the population.
D.
To encourage
countries of the hemisphere to intensify cooperation and to share
knowledge, experiences, and achievements in the area of employment and
labor, so that they may overcome the obstacles to development that can
accompany the social, economic, and institutional asymmetries between
our countries and regions. The deepening of hemispheric cooperation
must involve the social and labor forums constituted in the various trade
liberalization and integration experiences in the Americas, as well as
the regional and international organizations that exercise a critical
role in the promotion of employment and in the betterment of working
conditions, particularly the Organization of American States (OAS),
the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Inter-American
Commission of Women (CIM), the Economic Commission for Latin America
and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Caribbean
Development Bank (CDB), the Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF), the
Central American Bank of Economic Integration (CABEI), and the World
Bank.
E.
To organize the Fourteenth Inter-American Conference of
Ministers of Labor of the OAS in Mexico in 2005.
JOINT CEATAL-COSATE DECLARATION
At the XIII Inter.-American Conference of Ministers of Labor of
the Organization of American States (OAS), the employers and workers
of the Americas, represented through the Business Technical Advisory
Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL) and the Trade Union Technical
Advisory Council (COSATE) reaffirm that the follow closely the
integration and free trade processes of the Americas and, within these
processes, the social and labor dimension of integration.
They further reiterate the need to continue the relationship of
cooperation between the OAS and the ILO in social and labor topics and
in the area of the labor dimension of integration, where respect for
basic labor rights is guaranteed, based on application of the
principles contained in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles
and Rights at Work, an essential condition for moving towards
development with social justice.
In this regard, they agreed to the following:
Declaration
·
We
issue an appeal to the governments to address, with the support of the
ILO, employment as a possible to overcome conditions of inequality and
delayed development that persist in many countries of our region;
create greater opportunities for progress and well-being, as well as
generate spaces for high-level dialogue central concern and key
element for the development of plans intended to eradicate poverty and
that make it between governments, social interlocutors, and
international and regional financial institutions for discussion of
the situation regarding employment and its current impact on levels of
poverty, and thereby contribute to proceeding with the design of
harmonious policies in the context of decent work.
·
Further,
we place special emphasis on the need to generate social dialogue on
strengthening education throughout life, and on continuing
professional and managerial training as key instruments for the
promotion of decent employment in the framewowrk of sustainable
development.
·
CEATAL
and COSATE evaluate positively their participation in the initiatives
of the IACML. In the
process of deepening such partcipation, both organizations feel that
it would be necessarty to change their role as advisory bodies to that
of consultative organs of the IACML.
They request the ILO in turn to involve ACTEMP and ACTRAV in
all the meetings of the Working Groups and the CIMT in support of
CEATAL and COSATE,
and they reiterate their commitment to continue to collaborate
and contribute to that work. To that effect, they draw attention to the need for the OAS
and the governments to contribute to strengthening both counciss and
facilitate the necessary financial mechanisms for ensuring that
presence and participation.
President of CEATAL
President OF COSATE
Daniel
Funes de Rioja
Ericson Crivelli
SALVADOR
PLAN OF ACTION
1.
We, the
Ministers of Labor of the Americas, gathered in the city of Salvador,
State of Bahia, Federal Republic of Brazil, on September 24, 25 and
26, 2003, on the occasion of the Thirteenth Conference of Ministers of
Labor of the Organization of American States (OAS), commit ourselves
to implement the following Plan of Action:
A.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN OF ACTION: ORGANIZATION
2.
The Chair Pro
Tempore of the Thirteenth Inter-American Conference of Ministers
of Labor (Brazil) in collaboration with the former Chair (Canada) and
the future Chair (Mexico), with the support of the Technical
Secretariat of the OAS and in consultation with the representatives of
the Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE), the Business
Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL), and the
Permanent Technical Committee on Labor Matters (COTPAL), will be
responsible for promoting the implementation of the Plan of Action and
for improving collaboration and cooperation with the social and labor
forums constituted in the various trade liberalization and integration
initiatives in the Americas, and with the relevant regional and
international organizations, such as the Organization of American
States (OAS), International Labor Organization (ILO), Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Pan American
Health Organization (PAHO), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB),
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the Corporación Andina de Fomento
(CAF), the Central American Bank of Economic Integration (CABEI), and
the World Bank.
B.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN OF ACTION: RESOURCES
3.
Member states
should devote the available economic, technical, and logistical
resources to implement the Plan of Action and to encourage the
participation of COSATE and CEATAL.
In addition, the Chair Pro
Tempore will invite the relevant regional and international
organizations to make voluntary contributions to support activities
and projects included in this plan, and to facilitate the
participation of said worker and employer organizations.
C.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN OF ACTION: WORKING GROUPS
4.
Participation
in the Working Groups will be open to all Member states, as well as
COSATE and CEATAL. The
Chair Pro Tempore will seek the means to ensure the active participation
of all the member states and the social partners (i.e. the most
representative employers’ and workers’ organizations) in the
implementation of the Plan of Action.
WORKING
GROUP 1: LABOR DIMENSIONS OF THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS PROCESS
5.
The Working
Group will continue examining the topic of globalization in relation
to employment and labor, to follow up on those issues that have been
already identified as requiring major effort on behalf of the member
states and intensifying collaboration and hemispheric cooperation in
the search for better shared solutions, with strong emphasis on the
integration of economic and social policies in the national, regional,
and subregional spheres.
6.
In particular,
the Working Group will undertake the following activities:
a.
Based on the
work accomplished by the XI and XII IACML on different regional
agreements and institutions addressing labor standards in the context
of integration, and the continued study of labor provisions in
emerging free trade agreements, elaborate options emphasizing
cooperation, to allow for a better implementation of labor
commitments, laws and policies, including through an increase in the
capacity of Labor Ministries;
b.
Conduct further
enquiry into the effects of economic integration on labor markets and
labor policy, the necessary methods for studying these topics and the
means to enable Labor Ministries in smaller economies to undertake
such analyses.
c.
Develop the
institutional means to structure coordination and collaboration to
strengthen Labor Ministries’ capacity to carry out their functions.
To this end, commission a feasibility study, with
recommendations to be brought forward for the consideration of the XIV
IACML;
d.
To analyze
conditions for creating a mechanism to promote decent work and
strengthen training to help reduce differences between regions and
improve conditions for competitiveness in our countries.
e.
Extend
invitations to senior officials from relevant ministries, as
appropriate, to attend the IACML seminars, workshops, and Working
Group meetings when agenda items address topics of cross-cutting
nature. Ministries of
Trade and Ministries of Education were identified in this regard by
the Working Group;
f.
Continue to
encourage the active participation of CEATAL, COSATE and key
international organizations in the work of the Conference regarding
the labor dimensions of the Summit of the Americas process; and
g.
Convey the
contents of this report to Trade Ministers in response to the request
in their Quito Declaration of November 2002.
7.
The Working
Group will consider, as a basis for the development of its mission,
the knowledge, results and recommendations that arose from the
activities carried out by its predecessors, as well as studies and
information that can contribute to the accomplishment of its
objectives. In that
regard, the group will be attentive, inter.alia, to the work
and recommendations that may arise from the ILO’s World Commission
on the Social Dimensions of Globalization.
The Working Group will prepare a report containing
recommendations for consideration at the XIV Conference.
These activities will serve as a basis for the adoption of
policies and programs intended to reduce or eliminate the decent work
deficit in the countries of the Hemisphere.
WORKING
GROUP 2: BUILDING
CAPACITIES OF LABOR MINISTRIES
8.
Working Group 2
will follow-up on the efforts of its predecessors in the development
of new mechanisms to increase the capacity of the Ministries of Labor,
with a particular focus on responding to the challenges of
globalization and integration and free trade processes,
as well as increasing the efficiency of the policies and
actions directed to the promotion of decent work, the improvement of
working conditions, and promotion
of the labor principles embodied in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work. The central objective of this
group is to develop tools to support ministries of labor -- structure,
legal framework, functions, administration, interaction with the
surrounding environment --- for the execution of an active role in the
contemporary world and in the future.
In this regard, we grant special importance to the continuation
and deepening of the regional programs for development, strengthening
and modernization of labor administrations, that the ILO, OAS and
other organizations design and implement in the hemispheric area.
9.
The Working
Group should consider, in their activities, the input offered by its
predecessors. The
cooperation and collaboration among the Ministries of Labor, the OAS,
ILO, ECLAC, PAHO, IDB, CDB, CAF, CABEI and the World Bank have a
strategic significance for obtaining the desired effects, in
particular, in developing the capacity of smaller economies and their
institutions. As such,
the Working Group will build on the work of its predecessors to
achieve improved collaboration and coordination, especially in the
following fields: by exploring the development of institutional means
to structure their efforts to achieve these objectives, by continuing
to exchange best practices, by maintaining an inventory of technical
assistance and cooperation projects and resources and making it
available to IACML members, and by identifying, on the basis of
experience, the enabling conditions for sustainable strengthening of
institutional capacity.
10.
The Working
Group should also give special attention to the Horizontal Cooperation
Project in the area of Labor, being carried out by the Unit for Social
Development and Education (UDSE) of the OAS, based on the critical
transfer of consolidated prograams and implemented in collaboration
with the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD)
and other appropriate units of the OAS General Secretariat.
Additionally, the Working Group should consider the results
from the USDOL/ILO Project on "Labor Principles and Rights in the
context of the XII IACML”.
11.
The Working
Group, in coordination with the ILO, will work to ensure that IACML
members are informed of best practices and available resources to
raise public awareness of the ILO Declaration about Fundamental
Principles and Rights of Work and its follow-up, to communicate and
evaluate experiences in the various countries of the Americas with
initiatives to eliminate child labor; and to develop within individual
countries indicators of fundamental rights as an aspect of decent
work, to provide benchmarks for reviewing progress, identifying best
practices in those areas, and effectively targeting the resources
required to achieve those objectives.
D.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN OF ACTION: ROLE OF THE MINISTRIES OF
LABOR
I – AREAS OF ACTION
12.
The Ministries
of Labor can play an important role in the generation of opportunities
for decent work, the promotion of productive employment, and
improvement of working and living conditions, including:
a.
the promotion
of the elaboration, revision and updating of labor legislation,
promotion of compliance with labor legislation, collective agreements,
and international labor standards, particularly those identified in
the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and
its Follow-up;
b.
the creation of
decent work, integration of economic, social and labor policies for
the creation and expansion of productive employment and income
opportunities; integration of labor, education, culture, welfare, and
leisure policies; management of public funds for sectors that are more
sensitive to the investment-employment relationship, such as the micro
and small enterprises, self-employment, cooperatives; employment
programs aimed at vulnerable groups such as women, adolescents,
persons with disabilities, ethnic
minorities; programs for public credit, microfinance, etc;
c.
the existence
of efficient social protection systems, monitoring of health and
safety conditions in the workplace; stimulating the formalization of
non-standard and unprotected work; expanding social security coverage;
complying with programs to abolish child labor, sexual exploitation of
children and adolescents, and forced and
compulsory labor; developing programs to promote equitable
treatment in employment and in the workplace;
d.
the promotion
of social dialogue: creation
and compliance with statutory provisions for strengthening free and
autonomous organizations of employers, workers and other social
actors; incentives for collective negotiation; institutionalization of
spaces for social dialogue and the participation of civil society in
decision-making on labor and development matters.
13.
The functions
and areas constitute the guidelines of the Plan of Action.
II – LEVELS OF ACTION
14.
The role of the
Ministries of Labor should be carried out at the national, regional
and hemispheric levels, which complement one other:
a.
at the national
level, as described in the previous section and other corollaries,
comprising the actual and immediate environment for action for the
governmental institutions;
b.
at the
subregional and regional levels comprising the actions that correspond
to commitments or intentions resulting from agreements on the
formation of free trade areas or integration projects;
c.
at the
hemispheric level, covering those actions derived from treaties and
agreements of the Americas or identified with the architecture of
shared and common projects;
E.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN OF ACTION: STUDIES, MEETINGS AND
SEMINARS
15.
By December
2003, the past, present and future Chair pro
tempore and the Working Groups will jointly develop a calendar of
events, in consultation with the Member states, COSATE and CEATAL, as
well as the participating regional and international institutions.
16.
The
Working Groups will schedule three seminars on the theme of
integration of the economic and social objectives into national,
subregional and regional development policies, the processes of
integration and free trade, as well as on the responses of Ministers
of Labor to the challenges of promoting decent work in those contexts.
These seminars will focus on aspects of this theme, for
example, the formulation of a shared vision, the public management of
integration, or the creation of institutional means for integration.
The preferences, priorities, and interests of the countries and
regions of the Hemisphere should be considered in the organization of
these seminars.
17.
The Working Groups will develop, with technical and financial support
from regional and international institutions acting in the social and
labor area, a comprehensive study on the topic of promotion of decent
work, in its various dimensions, in subregional and regional
integration and free trade processes The study will take into account
the social and labor aspects, including those of health and safety, of
the subregional experiences of integration and should provide the
Ministries of Labor with the theoretical and practical elements
necessary for their affirmative participation in the process of
negotiation and implementation of this enterprise.
18.
The past, present and future IACML Chairs pro tempore will direct the development of a feasibility study, in
consultation with the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the two Working
Groups, for an “Inter-American Cooperation Mechanism for
Professional Labour Administration” with the objective of deepening
international collaboration and coordination to modernize labour
administrations and support the IACML in its mandate to strengthen the
capacity of the Ministries of Labour in the Hemisphere.
The study will be administered by the Unit for Social
Development and Education of the OAS and will consider the experiences
and the resources available within Member states and the regional and
international organizations, especially the OAS and ILO that seek to
support the strengthening of administrative capacity of the Ministries
of Labor. The feasibility study will present a set of specific options
and recommendation to the IACML Ministers by the end of July 2004.
An interim progress report will be presented to the Working
Groups during their first meetings. If member states conclude that the mechanism is feasible, the
leadership of the IACML and of the Working Groups will propose
measures for its implementation.
The terms of reference for the feasibility study have been included as an
appendix to this Plan of Action.
19.
The Working Groups will evaluate the activities and the
advances made by the Information System on Labor Markets (SISMEL) in
the production, harmonization and dissemination of labor statistics
and documents in member states. Based
on that evaluation, the Working Groups will decide, by December 31,
2003, on advisability of maintaining the SISMEL in its present format
or of integrating it into other projects, considering the contribution
that this system can offer for the improvement of national statistics,
mainly in the smaller economies, and the production of comparable
indicators on the labor market of the Hemisphere. In any of the
hypotheses, the Ministries of Labor will have to designate the
national coordinators of the SISMEL that will be in charge of the
feeding and updating of the database and documents, as well as of
their dissemination.
20.
The Working Groups will consider the opportune means to develop the
relationship between the Ministries of Labor and the government bodies
with competence in the negotiations. In this regard, maximum efforts
will be undertaken, within the framework of existing national and
institutional competencies, to establish a comprehensive productive
and regular dialogue with the Ministries of Trade, as well as with the
Ministries of Education, Health, Social Development and the
authorities that are charged with combating poverty, and other
ministers involved in the negotiations of the FTAA, to consider the
impact of the economic and commercial policies on the local and
regional labor markets. In that respect, we note that the Ministers of
Trade of the Hemisphere have declared, in the Ministerial Declaration
of Quito, their interest in knowing the results of the activities of
the Working Group relative to the Labor Dimensions of the Summit of
the Americas Process.
F.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN OF ACTION: DIRECTIVES FOR THE
FUNCTIONING OF THE WORKING GROUPS
Coordination
21.
The Working
Groups will meet at least twice before the XIV Inter-American
Conference of Ministers of Labor, at dates and locations that will be
determined by what is said in paragraph 15.
22.
The Working
Groups will be coordinated by the following Ministers of Labor,
elected by this conference, who can perform the functions assigned
directly, or through a representative:
WG 1: Minister of Labor of Argentina (Chair pro
tempore) and Minister of Labor of the United States (Vice Chair);
WG 2: Minister of Labor of El Salvador (Chair pro
tempore) and Minister of Labor of Canada (Vice Chair).
Methodology
23.
The Plan of
Action addresses a large number of complex themes reflecting the grave
challenges before the Ministers of Labor in global economy. In contrast, most Ministries are faced with serious
limitations to adequately perform their function.
For this reason, it is indispensable that the Working Groups
continue the efforts to improve their methods of work, in order to
achieve synergies, maximize efficiencies and disseminate results.
