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ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATESInter-American Council for Integral Development

(CIDI)

XVI INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE OEA/Ser.K/XII.16.1OF MINISTERSOF LABOR (IACML) CIDI/TRABAJO/doc.32/09October 6-8, 2009 1 December 2009

Buenos Aires, Argentina Original: Spanish

FINAL REPORTXVI INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF LABOR OF THE

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

17th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Background .......................................................................................................................................1II. Proceedings: ................................................................................................................................... ..1

Preparatory meeting .................................................................................................................. 1Closing session ........................................................................................................................ 18DECLARATION OF BUENOS AIRES 2009: ..................................................................................21

CEATAL DECLARATION ....................................................................................................45REPORT OF THE Permanent Technical ................................................................................ 74Committee on Labor Matters (COTPAL) ............................................................................... 74Vote of thanks to the People and Government of Argentina ................................................101Title 102

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FINAL REPORT

XVI INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF LABOR

OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

I. Background

The XVI Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML) of the OAS was heldfrom October 6 to 8, 2009, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Two technical preparatory meetings wereheld beforehand: in Washington, D.C., on May 22, 2009; and in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from July22 to 24, 2009. Preparations for the Conference were begun a year ahead of the event by theMinistry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security of Argentina and by the OAS.

II. Proceedings:

During the Conference, pursuant to Article 30 of the Rules of Procedure, the ministers held apreparatory meeting, an inaugural session, five plenary sessions, and a closing session, as detailedbelow. Annex IV to this report includes the work schedule for the XVI IACML and the list ofdocuments used at the Conference.

The XVI IACML was attended by 29 delegations of the ministries of Labor of the Americas,18 of which were headed by their Ministers. Furthermore, the meeting had a rich representation ofworkers and employers, grouped in COSATE and CEATAL, as well as the participation of variousinternational organizations, in which the presence of the General Director of the International LabourOrganization (ILO) and representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), WorldBank, Corporacin Andina de Fomento (CAF), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on

Agriculture (IICA), International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations DevelopmentProgram (UNDP) and World Association of Public Employment Services is highlighted.

Preparatory meeting

Pursuant to Article 31 of the Conference's Rules of Procedure, the heads of delegation held apreparatory meeting on October 6, at 3:00 p.m. Ms. Roslyn Khan-Cummings, Permanent Secretary ofthe Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development of Trinidad and Tobago,chaired the meeting, in accordance with Article 13 of the Rules of Procedure.

The following matters were considered:

i. Establishment of the order of precedenceThe Chair reported that the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Councilfor Integral Development (CEPCIDI) had drawn lots to establish the order of precedence forthe Conference at its 153rd regular meeting, in Washington, D.C., on October 1, 2009, andthat Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had been selected. In accordance with the Rules ofProcedure, the remaining delegations would follow in Spanish alphabetical order.


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ii. Decision on the Rules of Procedure:The Chair recognized the Technical Secretariat, which explained the changes to the Rules ofProcedure that had been adopted by COTPAL on the morning of October 6. Ambassador

Alfonso Quinez, Executive Secretary of the OAS Executive Secretariat for IntegralDevelopment, commented that COTPAL, in the morning, had adopted two draft resolutions:the first (document CIDI/TRABAJO/doc.21/09) amended the Rules of Procedure of theConference (document CIDI/TRABAJO/doc.6/09) and the status of COTPAL, COSATE,and CEATAL by defining them as permanent consultative bodies of the IACML; thesecond (document CIDI/TRABAJO/doc.22/09) amended only the status of COSATE byincluding an article that gave the role of COSATE facilitator to the Trade UnionConfederation of the Americas (TUCA). In regards to the first resolution, the Ambassadorreiterated what was stated in the COTPAL meeting namely, that the consultations withCOSATE and CEATAL are not binding within the framework of the IACML. Thedelegations adopted both draft resolutions.

iii. Election of the chair of the ConferenceThe Secretary of Labor of the United States, the Honorable Hilda Solis, nominated theHonorable Carlos Alfonso Tomada, Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Security ofArgentina, to serve as Chair of the XVI IACML, pointing to his great commitment tohemispheric cooperation and dialogue on labor matters. The Minister of Labor and SocialSecurity of Uruguay, the Honorable Julio Baraibar, and Mr. Mario Barbosa, representing theMinister of Labor and Employment of Brazil, the Honorable Carlos Lupi, seconded themotion, recognizing Minister Tomadas outstanding qualifications and his commitment tosocial dialogue. The Chair was elected by acclamation. Pursuant to Article 11 of the Rulesof Procedure, the heads of the other delegations were declared ex officio vice chairs, toreplace the Chair in the event of his absence or incapacity, according to the established orderof precedence.

Minister Tomada assumed the chairmanship of the XVI IACML, thanking all delegations fortheir confidence. He said that in assuming this responsibility he was committed to continuedwork toward full integration of the countries of the region and wanted to make theConference a genuine forum for dialogue and exchange. He emphasized that the IACMLshould continue to work to increase appreciation of labor, recognizing not only that wealthgenerates work but that work generates wealth; it should also continue efforts to make theprinciples of decent work a reality.

The Chair gave the floor to the Technical Secretariat, which listed the other topics to beaddressed at this preparatory meeting.

iv. Consideration of the agenda and the work scheduleThe draft agenda (CIDI/TRABAJO/doc.2/09) and draft schedule (CIDI/TRABAJO/doc.3/09)were approved and adopted as presented.

v. Decision on the Committee on Credentials and the Style CommitteeThe Secretariat proposed dispensing with application of Article 22 of the Rules of Procedureas regarded the formation of the Committee on Credentials, since all delegations had adheredto the registration requirements established both for the OAS member states and forobservers and special guests.

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Pursuant to Article 23 of the Rules of Procedure, the Technical Secretariat proposed that theStyle Committee be composed of the delegations of Brazil (Portuguese), Argentina(Spanish), the United States (English), and Canada (French). Delegations agreed, and the

Committee was thus established.

It was announced that Article 21 of the Rules of Procedure called for a Committee onCoordination, made up of the chairs of the working groups and presided over by the chair ofthe Conference. That Committee was to meet upon convocation by its chair and was to makesuch recommendations as it deemed appropriate to ensure the proper conduct of the work.

vi. Decision on the working method and the makeup of working groupsPursuant to Article 24 of the Rules of Procedure, and in line with the decisions taken at theCOTPAL meeting of October 6, 2009, the Chair proposed forming two working groups:Group 1, on "Decent work to face the global economic crisis with social justice for a fairglobalization," and Group 2, Strengthening of the ministries of labor to promote decent

work, which would build upon the work of the prior two working groups.

At the COTPAL meeting, it was decided that Working Group 1 should be chaired by theUnited States, with Brazil and Guyana as vice chairs, and that Working Group 2 would bechaired by the Dominican Republic, the decision on the vice chairs remaining underdiscussion. The Honorable Julio Baraibar, Minister of Labor of Uruguay, took the floor towithdraw his countrys candidacy for vice chair of WG2, in recognition of the spirit ofconsensus that should prevail at this ministerial forum. The Secretariat reported that the vicechairs of WG2, therefore, would be Canada and Mexico.

The delegations endorsed these proposals and the officers of the working groups were thuselected.

vii. Deadline for the presentation of proposalsPursuant to Article 38 of the Rules of Procedure, the Secretariat proposed that all proposalsbe presented to the OAS Secretariat 24 hours in advance of their discussion and set adeadline of 10:00 a.m. on October 7, 2009, for such presentation. Delegates approved theproposed deadline.

viii.Consideration of documents from the working groupsThe Chair officially received the final reports of Working Groups 1 and 2 and thanked thedelegations of Brazil (Chair of WG1), United States and Guyana (Vice Chairs of WG1), ElSalvador (Chair of WG2), and Canada and Uruguay (Vice Chairs of WG2) for preparingthese reports and presiding over the working groups in the context of the XV IACML. The

final reports received by the IACML are included in this Final Report as Annex II, pursuantto Article 26 of the Rules of Procedure.

ix. Decision on the approximate duration of the ConferenceThe Secretariat suggested that the XVI IACML should conclude on October 8, 2009, atapproximately 4:00 p.m. Delegates agreed and it was so decided.

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x. Other businessThe Secretariat mentioned the draft resolution on IACML contributions to the G-20 process(CIDI/TRABAJO/doc.23/09 rev. 1), which had remained unchanged during the COTPAL

meeting and enjoyed the support of delegations. The draft resolution was adopted.

There being no further business to discuss, the Chair formally closed the preparatorymeeting.

A. Inaugural session Inauguration of the XVI IACML

The inaugural session was held on October 6, 2009, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Mr. Jorge Taiana, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Commerce, and Worship ofArgentina, extended a warm welcome to the delegations and expressed his satisfaction that thisConference was focusing on the theme Facing the Crisis with Development, Decent Work, and

Social Protection. He said this IACML was being held at a timely moment, at which answers mustbe sought to mitigate the effects of the crisis, especially for the most vulnerable, and the proactiverole of the state must be restored. In this sense, social protection as a pillar of development should bestrengthened and job recovery must be the main objective. He said it was necessary to achieveglobalization that worked for all, not only for a few, and that, among other things, this would requirestrengthening cooperation and solidarity at the inter-American and international levels. Heconcluded by expressing his Governments concern over the situation in Honduras and itsunwavering support for the efforts of the OAS Secretary General to bring about the full restoration ofconstitutional order in that country and the reinstatement of its legitimate president.

Ms. Roslyn Khan-Cummings, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Small andMicro Enterprise Development of Trinidad and Tobago, conveyed greetings from Minister Rennie

Dumas, Chair of the XV IACML, noting that Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean had hosted theIACML and the Summit of the Americas for the first time. She said that under the leadership ofTrinidad and Tobago the IACML had pursued a rich agenda in which the most pressing issues forlabor ministries had been examined and progress had been made on those fronts, basically throughthe Inter-American Network for Labor Administration (RIAL). She noted that the successes of theNetwork demonstrated the strong ties of cooperation among the ministries, which made possible acollective response to the challenges of the present economic crisis and its effects on employment.She said the XVI IACML was an excellent opportunity in that regard. In response to todayschallenges, the countries were called upon to form new alliances that supported sustainabledevelopment and focused on the well-being of individuals. In this context, the labor ministriesplayed a central role in designing policies on employment, social protection, and decent work, inpursuit of the Global Jobs Pact. Lastly, she thanked the officers of the working groups, the past and

future chairs of the IACML, COSATE, CEATAL, and the Technical Secretariat for all their supportand reaffirmed her full support for the new Chair.

Dr. Juan Somavia, Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), thankedthe President of Argentina and its Ministry of Labor for their commitment to decent work and theirdecisive support in enlisting the ILO in the G-20 process. He referred to the present crisis, the causesof which had been announced six years earlier by the ILOs World Commission on the SocialDimension of Globalization; to the prompt response provided by the ILOs tripartite approach withthe adoption of the Global Jobs Pact; and to the rapid measures countries had taken to address it. He

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pointed to the formidable tasks that lay ahead in terms of bringing about both economic recovery anddecent work; and he said that a recovery that was weak on the employment front was neithereconomically nor politically sustainable. He commented that an important effect of the crisis was the

central role of labor ministries, demonstrating their strategic nature and the importance ofstrengthening them as major players in growth with progress and social justice. He emphasized thatthe crisis could not be overcome with the same policies that had brought it about and that aframework of national, regional, and global policies that would generate balanced and sustainabledevelopment was needed. He said a balance must be struck between the role of the state, thecommon welfare of society as a whole, the needs of individuals, and the energizing role of themarket, and that a better balance between the interests of capital and the interests of workers wasneeded. He concluded by saying that social dialogue and consensus-building were indispensable toovercoming the crisis.

Ambassador Alfonso Quinez, the OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development,conveyed greetings from Dr. Jos Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the OAS, who was in

Honduras continuing his efforts toward that countrys restoration of democratic processes andconstitutional order. He thanked Argentina for its commitment in organizing the IACML andexpressed satisfaction at the presence of the ILOs Director General. He drew a parallel between thesituation at the XV IACML and the situation today, noting that during the previous Conference theregion had relatively high levels of growth, with improvements in employment and poverty figures,and all its governments had been elected democratically; today, not only had the world economiccrisis negatively affected employment, poverty, and job security but the situation in Honduras hadsent the region back to the dictatorship era. He noted that social discontent generated by the crisiscould jeopardize the stability of institutions; he expressed his confidence in the maturity of thedemocratic system and in the electoral processes of the coming months as a means of defusingtension. He noted that only a broad system of political and social accords could succeed instrengthening governance and guaranteeing the political viability of measures adopted in response to

the crisis; he emphasized that labor ministries played a central role in that process and expressedsatisfaction at the theme of the Conference, the discussions and conclusions of which wouldcontribute to such a system of political and social accords. He also mentioned significant progressmade over the past two years within the IACML, such as strengthening participation by workers andemployers in OAS activities; consolidation of the RIAL as a means of cooperation within theIACML; and important progress on gender issues. Lastly, he reiterated the OAS full commitment tocontinued support of this ministerial forum.

Dr. Carlos Alfonso Tomada, Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Security ofArgentina, expressed appreciation for the opportunity given Argentina to Chair the IACML duringthe 2009-2011 term. He welcomed the delegations to this forum, which he said provided an open,pluralistic means for discussion of the main concerns: work, employment, social protection, and the

challenge of consolidating a development approach that would provide equal opportunity to all. Hepointed to a number of major achievements by the IACML: progress toward gender equality,demonstrated, inter alia, by the presence of a larger number of female labor ministers at this XVIIACML than at any other time; the presence at the Conference, for the first time, of representatives ofother sectors, which would promote the coordination of economic, labor, and social policies with theaim of achieving increased and better employment and promoting development; and the fact that, forthe first time, the region had five countries participating in the G-20, signaling the importance andpresence of the Americas in the world economy. He also spoke about the great challenges of thisIACML in terms of the profound economic crisis, which not only had negative effects on

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employment and poverty but also was engendering growing worry and discontent among societywhich felt, justifiably, that it was paying the consequences of a crisis for which it bore none of theblame. He also referred to the situation in Honduras as a shameful spectacle that set the region back

30 years. Lastly, he pointed to the ministries efforts to halt the effects of the crisis, which had beensuccessful but insufficient, and urged delegations to continue encouraging active policies to restoreand enhance state involvement and labor leadership, emphasizing that our peoples cannot wait ...they demand that we meet the challenges of this exceptional moment.

C. First plenary session Follow-up reports

The first plenary session was held on October 7 at 9:00 a.m. The Honorable Carlos AlfonsoTomada, Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Security of Argentina and Chair of the XVIIACML, opened the session and recognized Ambassador Quinez, Executive Secretary for IntegralDevelopment of the OAS, for his comments on the agreements reached during the preparatorymeeting of October 6. He then placed these agreements before the plenary, and they were ratified in

their entirety. Then he recalled that that day, October 7, was the World Day for Decent Work andinvited the ministers to bear in mind during these days that behind the statistics there were men,women, and families, to whose well-being everyone should be committed. He recognized thefollowing participants in this first plenary session for their presentation of follow-up reports:

Mr. Francisco Pilotti, Director of the OAS-SEDI Department of Social Development andEmployment, mentioned certain aspects of the report presented by the Technical Secretariat to theIACML (document CIDI/TRABAJO/doc.9/09) and thanked the Chair of the XV IACML, the officersof the working groups, the leaders of COSATE and CEATAL, and the international organizations,especially the ILO, whose contributions had made it possible to carry out the IACML work schedulein the 2007-2009 term. He listed as major accomplishments in this period: (1) The great progress ofthe Inter-American Network for Labor Administration (RIAL), which had held seven specialized

hemispheric workshops in these two years, with content adjusted so as to analyze the response to thecrisis; over 30 instances of bilateral cooperation, which had significant impact because of theirrelevance; and the study on gender mainstreaming in the labor ministries, with special contributionsfrom the ILO and the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), whose President sent a messageto the IACML reiterating her commitment to continue joint efforts on this matter. He pointed to themajor contribution by the Government of Canada, which had given over a million dollars to theNetwork. (2) Coordination with the Summits of the Americas process, whose Fifth Summitrecognized the role of the ministries in Article 15 of the Declaration of Commitment of Port-of-Spain. (3) The institutionalization of participation by workers and employers, represented byCOSATE and CEATAL, at the Summits of the Americas and the OAS General Assembly. Lastly, henoted that social protection was a cross-cutting theme of government policy that must be addressedby multiple sectors and said he was delighted that the OAS could facilitate such intersectoral

dialogue by serving as Technical Secretariat to both the IACML and the conference of socialdevelopment ministers. He pointed to the recent creation of the Inter-American Social ProtectionNetwork, which would facilitate discussion of good practices and dialogue on a topic so vital to thewell-being of millions of families in the Americas.

The Chair thanked the Technical Secretariat for its statement and pointed to the consolidationof the RIAL and its ability to adapt to new circumstances, took note of the CIMs letter on continuedefforts in the gender equality area, and welcomed as an auspicious sign the forging of ties between

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the labor and social development ministries, with a focus on social protection and its relation to labor.He then recognized the representative of the ILO.

Mr. Jean Maninat, Director of the ILO for Latin America and the Caribbean, said that theILOs very close cooperation with the OAS had been stepped up since the signature of amemorandum of understanding in 2007. He said that the ILO had participated actively in allactivities of the RIAL, pointing in particular to two initiatives: the study on mainstreaming a genderapproach in the labor ministries, which had involved technical advisory services from the ILO fromthe beginning, and the RIAL workshop on occupational health and safety, held in Cuzco, Peru, inOctober 2008 and planned and developed in close collaboration by the OAS, the ILO, and PAHO.He referred to the present economic crisis and to the ILOs commitment to work with the countries asthey looked for solutions. In this area he highlighted a few initiatives: (1) the document LatinAmerica and the Caribbean in the Face of the Economic Crisis: ILO Recommendations and CountryInitiatives, prepared by the ILO and its constituents; (2) the creation of a regional observatory toidentify and discuss successful experiences in managing the crisis, which had already produced

various Notes analyzing specific policies and programs; and (3) the quarterly bulletins, prepared bythe ILO and ECLAC, on the impact of the crisis on the regions labor markets. In these exercises theILO had seen governments respond rapidly and effectively to the crisis, averting even greater impacton employment; it had also found there was consensus on responding with countercyclical policies,that these had taken a wide variety of forms, and that the region was applying the lessons learnedfrom previous crises.

The Chair thanked the ILO for its contributions to the IACML and underscored the closecollaboration between the ILO and the OAS, evidence of which could be found in the reportspresented. Afterward, at the request of both organizations, he gave the floor to the representatives ofCEATAL and COSATE.

Mr. Dagoberto Lima Godoy, Vice Chair of CEATAL, expressed the pleasure of theCEATAL members and profound gratitude to the IACML for having elevated COSATE andCEATAL to the status of consultative bodies of the Conference. He also congratulated everyone onthis achievement, which would allow employers to make better contributions, and suggested thatsuch participation be extended to the network of social development ministries as well.

Mr. Stanley Gacek, Vice Chair of COSATE, seconded the remarks of the CEATALrepresentative and thanked the Conference profoundly for raising the status of COSATE andCEATAL.

The Chair said that raising the status of COSATE and CEATAL to that of consultativebodies was nothing more than a reflection of the ministries conviction as to the central role of

employers and workers in this hemispheric forum. He then formally closed the first plenary session.

D. Second plenary session Coordination of policies and programs for promotingemployment: a guiding framework in facing the crisis

The second plenary session began on October 7, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. The Chair said at thissession the intent was to highlight the need for a coordinated, multisectoral effort in response to thepresent crisis. He applauded the fact that for the first time in its history the IACML was beingattended by representatives of ministries of the economy and industry and ministries of social

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development, which would make success possible in this crucial multisectoral dialogue. He said thepresence of other sectors at the IACML was in keeping with the priority it attached to coordinatinglabor, economic, and social policies. The Chair then recognized economic and industrial officials of

Argentina, the United States, and Brazil, as well as the Chair of the Inter-American Committee onSocial Development (CIDES); their statements are summarized below.

The Honorable Dbora Giorgi, Minister of Industry of Argentina, expressed thanks for thishistoric invitation to a dialogue among sectors. She referred to certain lessons of the crisis and to thepolicies adopted in Argentina. Among those lessons she pointed to the strong connection betweenthe international and local arenas, demonstrated by how swiftly the global crisis had affectedbusinesspeople and workers, and the need to work for solutions at the international level. Sheapplauded the quick response of all the countries and the enlistment of other agencies, such as theILO, in deliberations in which, traditionally, only the multilateral banks had participated. She saidthe effects of the crisis in Argentina, though lamentable, had not been as severe as those in thedeveloped countries; she thought that was the result, on the one hand, of measures adopted since

2003, which had strengthened the productive apparatus and preserved macroeconomic stability, and,on the other hand, of the present governments decision to make job preservation the focus of allrecovery policies. This decision had made it possible to coordinate the policies of various sectors,including policies to support productive apparatus with fiscal incentives, soft credit, and assistance inmaintaining compensation; training policies; investment policies geared toward increasingcompetitiveness and restoring the natural role of public investment in counteracting the crisis; andsocial policies. This set of measures was designed to prevent the price for the crisis from being paidby those who should not have to; it was also consistent with a long-term view and an endogenousdevelopment approach that sought to eliminate inequities among persons and among regions. Sheconcluded by affirming her Governments commitment to continue efforts coordinated amongdiverse sectors and between the central government and provincial and municipal governments.

The Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy of the Department of Treasury of the UnitedStates, Mr. Alan Krueger, began by saying that, given the interrelatedness of economies and theglobal impact of the crisis, policy coordination among countries was a precondition for effectivenational responses. He welcomed the decisions of the G-20, as well as the recovery policies adoptedin the Americas. He explained his countrys measures in response to the crisis, which had begunwith restoring confidence in the financial sector, followed by support to the housing sector, and, inFebruary 2009, focusing on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which combined taxreductions, economic stimuli, infrastructure development, and, especially, an unprecedentedexpansion of unemployment insurance. He said the benefits of this Act had been felt outside theUnited States as well, given its strong trade relations with various economies in the region. Hepointed to certain encouraging signs of recovery in the United States and at the international level,and said these were due, to a large degree, to the countries coordinated countercyclical fiscal

response. Still, he said, the challenges remained severe, especially in terms of job recovery, and theUnited States, during the recovery, must increase savings and reduce consumption; therefore,economies in the region that depended to a large degree on trade with the United States shoulddiversify their exports. In conclusion, he said the economic adjustments taking place, and those yetto come with the recovery, made coordination and communication among countries of the Americaseven more important and therefore made the contributions of this forum essential.

The Secretary for Economic Monitoring of the Ministry of Finance of Brazil, Mr. AntonioHenrique Silveira, referred initially to his countrys situation in the crisis, pointing to its accelerated

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growth (5.1% in 2008). He noted certain structural characteristics, such as prudent regulation of thefinancial sector, ample coverage of the state banking system, and the existence of large state energyenterprises. He spoke about the initial negative impact of the crisis on production, trade, and

employment, but stressed that all these indicators had improved since the first quarter. He saidunemployment had dropped from 9% in March to 8% in July 2009 and that, in August, 240,000formal job posts had been created; these were important signs of recovery. He described thegovernments four lines of response: (1) restoration of credit conditions; (2) reinforcement ofautomatic stabilizers, such as expanding the coverage of theBolsa Famlia Program, and increases inthe minimum wage and unemployment insurance; (3) increasing public investment programs, such asinfrastructure projects; and (4) tax reduction. He said all these measures required strong coordinationamong economic and social ministries. In conclusion, he said Brazil had been able to reverse thenegative effects of the crisis in a relatively short time and at low cost compared to other countries;this was due both to domestic economic policy initiatives and to a coordinated global effort to reducethe likelihood of a depression. But this relative initial success must not be allowed to camouflage theneed for profound adjustments in the world economy, such as more efficient financial regulation,

better coordination of economic policies to reduce global imbalances, and greater emphasis oncountercyclical national policy design.

The Chair of the Inter-American Committee on Social Development (CIDES) and DeputyDirector of the National Department of Planning of Colombia, Mr. Juan Mauricio Ramrez, pointedto the importance of strengthening social protection systems in response to the crisis, specifying thatthese should include interventions to cushion the drop in income and consumption, formalmechanisms to coordinate all the major elements of social protection (social security, job protection,etc.), labor policies to protect workers and the unemployed, continuity in training processes, andaccess to assets that would mitigate the effect of future shocks. He called for a combination ofprograms focusing, on the one hand, on those most able to participate in the labor market and, on theother, on households in extreme poverty. He said the region had taken numerous actions in terms of

training, protecting the unemployed, and strengthening conditional cash transfer programs, amongothers. He noted Colombias experience with the Juntos Network, a strategy focused on thepopulation living in extreme poverty and involving nine dimensions (income and work, education,health, nutrition, access to financial services, etc.), which required close interagency collaboration.In conclusion, he mentioned the following challenges: (1) the need to complement job promotionprograms with programs of support to households living in structural poverty; (2) strengthening aninstitutional framework that integrated government program offerings and increased the managementcapacity of local governments; (3) the need to sustain social security programs, fiscally andfinancially, without taxes and burdens on the formal sector; and (4) the need to work from aproductive perspective that would integrate us into the value-added knowledge economy.

The Chair thanked the presenters and invited attendees to a break. Afterward, the session

resumed with presentations by the ministries of labor; these are summarized below.

The Honorable Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor of the United States, focused on the relevanceof employment issues in the response to the crisis. She applauded the recent G-20 meeting at whichworld leaders had reaffirmed job generation and support to workers as central goals of recoveryefforts. She noted the decision to hold a meeting of G-20 labor ministers in her country. She said themeasures adopted in the United States centered on protecting and restoring the living standards ofthose who had been victims of the crisis. For that purpose a multisectoral strategy had beendesigned, involving economic, environmental, education, and labor authorities, among others, and set

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forth in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Under this strategy, the Department of Laborhad increased vocational training and expanded unemployment insurance and health insurancecoverage to those who had lost their jobs. It also contained a commitment to protect the rights of

workers, promote unionization and collective bargaining, and support businesses, mostly mid-sizedand small enterprises. Secretary Sols said the Recovery Act was bearing fruit, but recalled that thehard times were still with us and labor ministries would need to persist in these efforts beyond therecovery. She said that although the ministries operated in different contexts, they shared values andgoals: raising living standards, ensuring that the gains of recovery would not bypass the mostvulnerable, bringing people out of poverty and placing them in good jobs, and guaranteeing thatworkers right were protected. She therefore celebrated the existence of this IACML, which madecooperation and exchange possible, and announced that her government would make a financialcontribution to the RIAL.

The Vice Minister of Labor and Employment of Brazil, Mr. Andr Figuereido Lima,applauded the initiative of organizing this dialogue among economic and labor ministries. He said

this global crisis called for measures coordinated at the national level and linked to internationalcoordination initiatives. He referred to various tools that had allowed the Brazilian Government torespond quickly to the crisis, such as the Workers Support Fund (FAT) and the Service TimeGuarantee Fund (FGTS); these were administered in a tripartite manner and their resources directedtoward housing and infrastructure projects. He also pointed to the expansion of theBolsa FamliaProgram, which served 12 million families in extreme poverty, and the expansion of unemploymentinsurance. He said returning to the way things had been before the crisis without making changes inthe international economic order was the best way to bring about another crisis; the multilateralsystem must be reformulated so as to regulate and monitor the financial market and achieve effectivemobilization of technical, human, and financial resources and allow the poorest countries to meet theMDG. He said Brazil was doing its part through various South-South cooperation initiatives. Hereaffirmed his Governments determination to translate the G-20 commitments into specific steps and

to implement the Declaration and Plan of Action of this XVI IACML. In conclusion, he applaudedthe G-20 decision to make employment and decent work central elements of recovery policies.

The Chair of the XVI IACML, the Honorable Carlos Tomada, in his capacity as Minister ofLabor, Employment, and Social Security of Argentina, spoke on policy coordination. He started bysaying that economic growth was not always accompanied by employment and development, asrecently witnessed in Argentina and other countries. He said we had learned that it was impossible topromote social development without placing social goals at the center of economic policy andwithout effective coordination of policies to mobilize and coordinate social and economic actors andinstitutions. He said Argentina had a social policy coordination cabinet consisting of the Ministriesof the Economy, Education, Health, Social Development, Labor, and Science and Technology. Inresponse to the crisis, he said, the government had formed a crisis cabinet consisting of the Ministries

of the Economy and Labor, among others, through which it had generated fiscal, labor, andproduction stimulus policies. In this context, Ministry of Labor policies focused on preserving laborrelationships, improving wages and pensions, and strengthening training policies. He said the presentcrisis underscored the need for progress toward a paradigm shift and a new development model,confirming that markets did not balance themselves alone and that a comprehensive statement ofgovernment policies to efficiently coordinate state, market, and society was needed. He applauded therecent G-20 Declaration and pointed to the challenge labor ministries faced in continuing to placeemployment on the international agenda. In conclusion, he said there could be no economic growth,and no social peace, without decent work, and only the coordinated effort of various ministries could

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lead to the implementation of effective policies, not only to overcome the present situation but toconsolidate a more equitable economy with social justice.

The Chair called the session to a close, recalling that today was the World Day for DecentWork.

E. Third plenary session The role of ministries of labor in addressing the crisis

The third plenary session began on October 7, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. The Chair of the XVIIACML recognized the heads of delegation of Chile, Mexico, Jamaica, and Venezuela. This sessionwas also attended by the distinguished President of the Argentine Republic, Cristina Fernndez deKirchner. A summary of each presentation follows.

The Honorable Claudia Serrano, Minister of Labor and Social Security of Chile, began herstatement by stressing that her Government, in addressing the crisis, attached priority to overcoming

unemployment, and that the crisis had produced a remarkable capacity for institutional and policycoordination and a sense of national unity. She said the Government of President Michelle Bachelethad bet on the concept of social protection and the implementation of a social state based on thenotion of rights, both reflected in the consolidation of institutional reforms and policy design that hadled to a very solid social protection system. She emphasized that the labor ministry was betterprepared than in the past to face the crisis, and recognized that its response capacity had to do withthis institution and with the coordination of decision-making among the economic, infrastructure,labor, and social protection areas. She cited three tools employed by her Government to address thecrisis: improvements in unemployment insurance, which allowed for social protection withcontainment; a youth employment subsidy to make hiring and keeping young people more attractive;and the National Employment Agreement, with efforts directed at instruction and training andpreserving jobs. Finally, she discussed certain challenges of recovery, including the capacity for

dialogue and working together to build a labor agenda not solely for times of crisis.

The Chair of the XVI IACML expressed gratitude for the presence of the highest-rankingworkers representatives and of the countries delegates, governors, and ambassadors. He said theirattendance gave the proper weight and context to this meeting. He then recognized theRepresentative of Mexico.

The Chief of the International Affairs Unit of the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare ofMexico, Daniel Ludlow Kuri, said the crisis should also be approached from a human standpoint andemployment should be the focus of government policy decisions based on the new role of the state asproactive regulator and provider of social protection. Therefore, he said, the countercyclicalmeasures promoted by President Felipe Caldern had placed special emphasis on job preservation,

fostering the generation of temporary employment through infrastructure projects, and increasingsocial protection of workers affected by the crisis. He said the strategy for reducing unemploymentshould include three elements: a combination of active and passive labor market policies, respect forthe rights of workers, and social dialogue. He mentioned in particular the National Accord for theFamily Budget and Jobs, signed in January 2009, which promoted measures to increase hiring,preserve existing job sources, and avert job loss. He named some specific measures under theAccord and concluded by saying that attention must also be given to structural design problems thatlimited economic growth, competiveness, and productivity.

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The Director General of Employment of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of theBolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Alejandro Boscn, noted that his Government had taken certainstructural measures in 1999 to forestall the effects of the crisis. He said the role of the labor

ministries should center on eliminating labor and social inequality and that his Ministry sought toestablish new relations of human coexistence based on equity, social justice, and solidarity. He alsopointed to certain policies and measures designed by the Ministry to strengthen the protection ofsocial and labor rights, such as maintaining wage levels and job stability, instilling a culture ofadherence to labor and fiscal law, incorporating workers with unequal access to security and healthinto state enterprises, and equal treatment of national and migrant workers. He stressed that theNational Employment Service had strengthened its measures and pointed to the occupational healthand safety committees, the breadth of social dialogue, the increase in the number of pensioners, theratification of various collective labor conventions, strict execution of public spending, and thelaunch of the Special Employment Plan to reduce job loss. He concluded by affirming that the laborministries should devise and develop policies of great social impact that could reverse theconsequences of the crisis.

The Honorable Minister of State of Jamaica, Andrew Gallimore, began his presentation bysaying the IACML provided a platform for the labor ministries to articulate their points of view andcoordinate their activities. He said the role of labor ministries in the context of the present crisis waseven more crucial, and that they should focus on employment, decent work, social protection, andlabor market reform. He said the Global Jobs Pact, adopted at the 98th session of the ILO, shouldserve as the framework for addressing the crisis, and recommended certain practical measures at theinternational and local levels. He noted, in the area of social protection, that the ministries faced thechallenge of developing both a social protection foundation for workers and a safety net for thegrowing number of unemployed and other vulnerable groups. In this area he said Jamaica continuedto expand benefits under its PATH program targeting the most vulnerable citizens. In the area oflabor market reform, he emphasized that labor ministries should focus on a legislative agenda that

facilitated job creation. He added that they should also continue to focus on the themes included inthe Declaration of Buenos Aires. He concluded by commenting that the challenges they faced wereenormous but their collective experience and the wisdom gained from it, together with collaborationat the IACML, would lead to a clearer path in the road ahead.

The Chair of the XVI IACML expressed appreciation for the statements and said that everystory, and the restored role of the labor ministry in each one, marked a substantial shift in theformulation of government policy.

The Chair then welcomed the President of the Argentine Republic, Ms. Cristina Fernndezde Kirchner, and gave the floor to Ambassador Alfonso Quinez and to the Director General of theILO, Dr. Juan Somalia, for brief comments on the occasion of the Presidents visit.

Ambassador Alfonso Quinez, Executive Secretary for Integral Development of the OAS,thanked the President, recognizing that her presence was an honor by virtue not only of her office butalso of her own commitment and that of her government to facing the crisis with a central focus onthe human being and with human welfare as the essential aim. He conveyed greetings from the OASSecretary General, Mr. Jos Miguel Insulza, and his apology for being unable to participate, as hewas attending to the situation in Honduras. He said that under the leadership of Argentina, theIACML would continue to evolve in a positive manner, and reaffirmed the support of the OAS, asTechnical Secretariat, in the certainty that policy dialogue, consensus-building, and cooperation

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among the regions ministries of labor were essential to ensuring democratic governance, collectivelyfacing the most pressing social and labor needs, and, most of all, reaching the necessary political andsocial consensus to overcome the crisis.

Then the Director General of the ILO, Mr. Juan Somalia, spoke to the President, commentingon her success to date, given the extraordinary convergence and the way all the attendees werelearning from one another. He stressed that the President was a leader who embodied the theme ofthe conference, Facing the Crisis with Development, Decent Work, and Social Protection. He notedher governments leadership in working for employment, job protection, the purchasing power ofworkers, and social protection, and stressed that although national policies were necessary, theirinternational coordination was as well. He applauded the Presidents efforts, her leadership ininternational forums in support of ILO values, and her success in involving the ILO in the G-20process and, recently, in the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh, in the United States. Finally, he said thisOAS Conference would serve as a contribution to the next meeting of ministers of labor of the G-20,and that, as Argentina was doing, it was possible, though complex and difficult, to achieve recovery

and growth with employment.

Thanking Ambassador Quinez and Mr. Somalia for their comments, the President of theArgentine Republic, Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner, welcomed the ministers of labor of theAmericas and the regions union and business leaders. She went on the say that the jobdestabilization throughout the Hemisphere had resulted not from an economic system but from a wayof thinking. She said deliberations at this Conference should center on the need for strong, activegovernment policies, which, though complex and problematic, must be seen as the true solution interms of countercyclical policies. She said it was necessary to coordinate the public with the private,and to develop domestic markets with purchasing power for workers and decent working conditionsin each and every country. She said the great challenge was precisely to conduct this debate, since itwas a discussion of ideas, not a question of doctrines or economic theories. She said the region was

called upon to take a leading role and therefore must strengthen its democratic systems. Sheconcluded by welcoming everyone in attendance and inviting them to continue the discussion of anew system of ideas to replace the one that had failed.

The Chair of the XVI IACML again thanked President Fernndez de Kirchner for attendingthe forum and gave the floor to the Chair of COSATE, Mr. Gerardo Martnez, who requested anopportunity to refer to the Second World Day for Decent Work.

Mr. Martnez said thousands of workers had marched that day, the Second World Day forDecent Work, to say once more that they would not pay for this crisis and that returning to the pastwas not an option. He noted that the present opportunity with the business sector allowed them tospur changes that could improve the social status and quality of life of the regions workers. He again

urged implementation of the measures and tools discussed at these conferences, where each countryexplained its situation and what it needed to solve the problem of unemployment, hunger, andpoverty. He stressed that, in order to strengthen democracy, it was necessary to do as the Conferencetitle said: face the crisis with development, decent work, and social protection. In conclusion, hepresented the Chair of the XVI IACML with a joint document from the central union organizations ofArgentina, prepared for this World Day and containing a call to action.

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Before closing the third session, the Chair of the XVI IACML read the first paragraph of thedocument presented by the COSATE representative, which expressed the intent to work forinnovative, diverse solutions that would make decent work and social protection pillars of

development. He closed the third plenary session remarking that these lines summarized the spirit ofthe meeting and expressing his satisfaction at having received the document on the Second WorldDay for Decent Work.

F. Fourth plenary session - Encouraging social dialogue and collective bargaining

The fourth plenary session began on October 8, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. The Chair of the XVIIACML recognized the heads of delegation of Canada, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic, andthe Chairs of COSATE and CEATAL. A summary of each presentation follows:

The Honorable Hlne Gosselin, Deputy Minister of Labour of Canada, began by referring tothe economic plan of action adopted by her government, consisting of an investment of 61 billion

dollars to stimulate the economy and restore confidence. She noted the important role of laborministries in helping their employers and workers deal with the present crisis and in strengtheningsocial dialogue, and noted that consultations with interest groups in Canada were essential to thedesign, implementation, and evaluation of policies and programs, to legislative reform, and to thenegotiation of cooperation agreements. At the hemispheric level, she pointed to her Governmentsfinancial support to COSATE and CEATAL, which had enabled them to participate in the IACMLactivities. She also reported the launching of a specific support fund, a flexible mechanism withinthe work plan to respond to ad hoc cooperation proposals by labor ministries and employers andworkers organizations. She concluded by reaffirming Canadas readiness to share its experience andto learn from others and by urging the governments of the Hemisphere to continue strengtheningsocial dialogue mechanisms so as to promote strong, effective relations between governments,employers, and workers.

The Honorable Julio Baraibar, Minister of Labor and Social Security of Uruguay, noted thathis country had had a progressive government since 2005. He said that one of its first measures hadbeen to reinstate the wage councils, a means of tripartite collective bargaining by activity, whichalso set the minimum wage for each category. He reported that three rounds of councils had beenheld to date, with approximately 200 negotiating panels each; the results had been excellent,especially the wage agreements reached by consensus in 85% of cases. He added that thesenegotiations had brought in new sectors, such as government and rural workers and domesticemployees, and that collective bargaining had brought about stronger employers and workersorganizations and improved relations among them. He then presented a summary of the principallabor laws adopted and listed the social dialogue forums in place since 2005. He concluded bypointing to certain achievements of his government and recommended that countries in any way

affected by the crisis follow the path set by the Uruguayan Government.

The Chair of the XVI IACML thanked Uruguay for its presentation and congratulated theMinister on that important legislative activity. He then recognized the representative of thedelegation of the Dominican Republic and the Chairs of COSATE and CEATAL.

The Honorable Secretary of State of Labor of Dominican Republic, Max Puig, opened hispresentation with a summary of the economic situation in the Dominican Republic and its labormarket. He said that, in response to the crisis, the President had convened a Summit for National

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Unity in Response to the World Economic Crisis, in February 2009. The Summit, attended bynumerous actors of the three sectors, produced agreements on certain social protection measures,inter alia, that were being implemented progressively by the government. He pointed to the creation

of forums for dialogue and consensus-building, the sectoral and thematic tripartite meetings, and theholding of tripartite workshops with ILO assistance. He concluded with some thoughts that hadarisen during the process: the need for unity among all the countrys sectors in times of crisis,societys capacity to reach major agreements if things were done transparently, the governmentscommitment to measures that were economically, politically, and socially viable, the contribution ofsocial dialogue to improving coordination among political and civil society sectors, and that the crisiscould serve to enhance the capabilities of the nations sectors to overcome both temporary problemsand structural flaws.

The Chair of COSATE, Gerardo Martnez, expressed his satisfaction over the newperspective he noted at the IACML and pointed to the Global Jobs Pact, designed to bring aboutreflection on and understanding of the world context through tripartite dialogue. He also noted that

the IACML was an opportunity to design, through policy, an opportunity to improve the social andlabor status of peoples, and that workers representatives could contribute knowledge to enrich thepolicy discussions from the standpoint of the interests they represented. He asked the politicalleaders, as those responsible for ensuring tripartite dialogue, how it could be that the regions growthhad not translated into social and labor gains, and said that equitable distribution and structuralchange that would allow social and labor conditions to improve in the region were still lacking. Hesaid that decent work was an alternative that must be enhanced and put into practice, bystrengthening, inter alia, collective labor agreements and social dialogue. He concluded by callingattention to the situation still persisting in Colombia, where 90 union representatives had died; tofinancial stability in the global context; and to the events in Honduras, all of these matters addressedin the declaration of workers representatives that was delivered at the Conference.

The Chair of CEATAL, Daniel Funes de Rioja, began his statement by commenting that,despite varying views on the causes of the crisis, the shared exercise of discussing them at the recentInternational Labour Conference, in the context of the Global Jobs Pact, had helped to identifycommon paths toward overcoming the crisis. He affirmed that, in order to overcome the crisis andmitigate its countercyclical effects, consensus had been reached on the need for dignified, decentwork, employment, sustainable enterprise, social dialogue, social protection models, and social safetynets. He emphasized his conviction that the exercise of democracy and respect for the rule of lawand fundamental rights was a concern of all businesspersons, and urged the OAS to continuepursuing its mission of correcting any situation that threatened those principles. Lastly, he read aloudthe CEATAL Declaration, a document containing the thoughts of this body on the world economiccrisis and its consequences in the labor market.

The Chair of the XVI IACML opened the forum to interministerial dialogue, which issummarized below.

The Honorable Minister of National Security and Labor of Antigua and Barbuda, Errol Cort,called attention to the situation of middle-income, highly indebted countries that lacked the necessaryresources to stimulate demand and meet the criteria of decent work and workers social protection.He asked that consideration be given to debt forgiveness for Caribbean countries, so as to create afiscal opportunity to better address the challenges of the crisis.

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The Honorable Minister of Labour of Suriname, Joyce Amarello-Williams, noted theimportance of saving for times of crisis. She said this was the case of Suriname, which, thanks tosavings, was still able to execute many of its programs and policies, despite its drop in revenue. She

also reported the adoption of a decent work agenda, in close collaboration with social actors.

The representative of Argentina, Secretary of Labor Noem Rial, mentioned the long historyof collective bargaining in her country and how this and social dialogue worked as tools of growthand wealth distribution. She also said Argentina had special characteristics that made negotiation anddialogue indispensable in dealing with the crisis.

The Honorable Minister of Labour and Immigration of Barbados, Arni B. Walters, shared theexperience of the tripartite social alliance and its evolution since its inception in 1993. Hementioned, inter alia, a number of that associations recommendations for dealing with the presentcrisis, as well as the adoption of five protocols, thus indicating how the social alliance had workedwell in Barbados, despite some difficulties also encountered.

Lastly, the Honorable Minister of Labor and Social Security of Guatemala, Edgar AlfredoRodrguez, noted the importance of social dialogue in his country in preventing the effects initiallyexpected from the crisis. He noted that the Tripartite Commission had produced excellent results,such as strengthening collective bargaining, which had led to the conclusion of collective agreements,such as his Ministrys Collective Labor Conditions Agreement.

After thanking all the delegations, the Chair formally closed the fourth plenary session

G. Fifth plenary session - Strengthening social protection in the crisis

The fifth plenary session began on October 8, 2009, at 11:30 a.m. The Chair of the XVI

IACML recognized the heads of delegation of Panama, Ecuador, and Trinidad and Tobago. Asummary of each presentation follows.

The Honorable Minister of Work and Labor Development of Panama, Alma Corts Aguilar,stressed that although the economy of Panama was one of the few in the region with a positiveforecast, her government, led by Ricardo Martinelli, was not neglecting efforts in the area of socialdevelopment. Among its efforts to strengthen social protection, she pointed to the promotion ofcorporate social responsibility, the reactivation of the National Minimum Wage Commission, thecreation of the Opportunity Network, community development programs, and the program AHundred for the Seventies, directed at senior adults without pensions. She placed special emphasison the recent program My First Job, aimed at training youth between the ages of 18 and 29 to earntheir work proficiency certificates. The program consisted of a stipend equivalent to US$100 per

month given to youth during their training, after which they were hired by private enterprise. Despitethe recent nature of this program, to date over 20,000 young people were enrolled and about 400firms were ready to give them their first opportunities.

Then the Honorable Minister of Labor Relations of Ecuador, Richard Espinosa, began hisstatement by remarking that although Ecuador had implemented the principle of universal insurance,it had also been necessary to maintain assistance programs. Nevertheless, he hoped that the lattercould be reduced as the economic restructuring gradually led to better wealth distribution,institutional reforms, and the consolidation of a strong economy. He also said eliminating labor

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outsourcing and other employment destabilizers had made it possible to institute formal socialprotection for thousands of workers who joined the formal labor market. He said those who earlierhad been called vulnerable groups now were considered priority attention groups, subject to

special protection and new rights and opportunities. He concluded by saying the strategy foraddressing the crisis involved five policy areas: public investment for development, fosteringproduction and private investment, economic inclusion, macroeconomic policy favoring employment,and protection of household income.

Then Ms. Roslyn Khan-Cummings, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour andSmall and Micro Enterprise Development of Trinidad and Tobago, said social protection was one ofthe pillars of the decent work agenda and therefore central to the IACMLs discussions over recentyears. On the regional level she mentioned, on the one hand, the formation of a working groupwithin CARICOM to consider solutions to the challenges posed by the crisis, including their impacton poverty and unemployment; on the other, she mentioned the Caribbean tripartite meeting held inJamaica to discuss the promotion of human prosperity beyond the crisis. She discussed some of the

measures her government had implemented to reduce the impact of the crisis, as part of Vision 2020,its National Strategic Plan, such as programs in the areas of food assistance, education, health,housing, and assistance to at-risk groups. She said some of the challenges of social protection wereuniversal coverage, changing perceptions, and sustainability. She concluded by recalling that, as theILO had said, there was no single model for guaranteeing social security; every society must define itaccording to its own cultural and social values; therefore they must continue discussing their variousexperiences.

The Chair of the XVI IACML asked Ms. Khan-Cummings to convey his gratitude toMinister Rennie Dumas of Trinidad and Tobago for his leadership at the XV Conference. He alsonoted the clarity of each speakers commitment to strengthening social security and added that a newelement to consider in reflecting on this topic was the recent link between social programs, programs

to protect more vulnerable groups, and engagement in the labor market. This link involved not onlysolidarity but also another way to maintain aggregate demand and, therefore, seeing social protectionnot only as a consequence of, but also a factor in, economic development. In conclusion, he offeredthe floor for a dialogue among the ministers, which is summarized below.

The Honorable Minister of Social Affairs and Labor of Haiti, Gabrielle Beaudin Previllon,after mentioning some of the consequences of the crisis, called upon the ministers of labor forsolidarity and cooperation among sister nations and for the definition and effective implementation ofpolicies and programs capable of addressing the challenges of the crisis in Haiti, such asunemployment. She urged the XVI IACML to establish conditions conducive to development ofOAS action to address the crisis and called for more active means of exchange and cooperation inextending the coverage of social protection for workers and of vocational training for youth hard-hit

by economic and social marginalization.

The Honorable Minister of Grenada, Karl Hood, asked for a look at the small island statesthat had also taken measures to mitigate the crisis. He asked how effective these measures could bewhen the unemployment rate exceeded 30% and the debt exceeded 100% of GDP, and asked wherean injection of capital to support other priority programs would come from. He also suggested thepossibility of debt forgiveness for the small states, so that they might have capital for the mostmarginalized.

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Vice Minister Calixto Meja of El Salvador said that at present a Global Anti-crisis Plan wasbeing developed, which included various measures to expand the protection system. He recalled thearmed conflict El Salvador had undergone and recognized the importance of leaving to future

generations a country where that would not happen again. He stressed that precisely therein lay thechallenges and the importance of the IACML as a framework and forum for cooperation andsolidarity.

Thanking the delegations for their valuable comments, the Chair formally closed the fifthplenary session.

Closing session

The closing session was held on October 8 at 3:00 p.m. The Chair of the XVI IACMLopened the session with the election of the incoming chairpro tempore and new member of theIACML troika. He asked the countries whether they had any interest in this position and then

recognized the delegate of El Salvador.

Mr. Calixto Meja, Vice Minister of Labor of El Salvador, said his country would be honoredto host and chair the XVII IACML, if the Conference were amenable.

The Chair, on behalf of Argentina and of the OAS, expressed deep gratitude for thiscandidacy. He then recognized the Heads of Delegation of Mexico, Brazil, Canada, the UnitedStates, Panama, and Chile, who unanimously seconded the nomination and thanked El Salvador forits offer to host the next Conference. The delegations then elected El Salvador, by acclamation, toserve as the next Chair of the IACML.

The Vice Minister of Labor of El Salvador, on behalf of President Mauricio Funes, thanked

the Conference for its confidence in and support of El Salvador. He said this represented a greatchallenge and he hoped the upcoming Conference would continue to help make the Americas morecohesive and inclusive. He said the Conference would take place against the backdrop of hiscountrys bicentennial of independence. In conclusion, on behalf of the people of El Salvador, and oftheir native land, enriched through the sacrifice of so many, he gave thanks for the honor of thisdesignation.

The Chair then presented for consideration the Draft Declaration and Draft Plan of Action ofBuenos Aires, which were adopted by acclamation; these are provided in Annex I to this report. Hecalled these documents a reflection of outstanding consensus-building, their having been developedin a time of change.

The Honorable Julio Baraibar, Minister of Labor and Social Security of Uruguay, requestedthe floor to thank Minister Tomada and his team for their excellent organization of this Conferenceand their generous hospitality, and to place before delegations for consideration the draft resolutionVote of Thanks to the People and Government of Argentina. He read the draft resolution aloud; itwas adopted by acclamation and is provided in Annex I to this report.

The Chair thanked the delegations and placed before them for consideration the draftresolution on the Contribution the XVI IACML to the G-20 Process. The proposal was seconded

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by the Head of Delegation of Paraguay and adopted by acclamation. The resolution is provided inAnnex I to this report.

The Chair recognized the Executive Secretary for Integral Development of the OAS,Dr. Alfonso Quinez, who thanked Minister Tomada for his splendid leadership of this Conferenceand his team for its excellent organization. He said that during these days the Conference hadanalyzed the regions challenges, confirmed that the countries had responded swiftly to the crisis andproposed multisectoral responses, and reaffirmed the focus on decent work and social protection inaddressing these challenges, aware that there would be no true recovery without human development.He pointed to the resolution on IACML contributions to the G-20, saying the region had much tocontribute, and thanked Argentina for its leadership in placing social issues on that agenda. Hethanked COSATE and CEATAL, congratulated them on their new status as consultative bodies, andreaffirmed the importance of social dialogue in this process. He thanked the ILO, not only for itspresence at this meeting at the highest level, i.e., Director Somava, but also for its close and ongoingcollaboration with the OAS. He also thanked the Director of the OAS Department of Social

Development and Employment, Francisco Pilotti, Mara Claudia Camacho, and the other members ofthe team for their intense work in planning this Conference, and reaffirmed the OAS commitment tothis process and its unwavering support of El Salvador. Lastly, he thanked Minister Tomada onceagain for this excellent meeting and, as a token of appreciation, gave him a set of OAS flagsrepresenting the unity of the Hemisphere.

The Chair expressed appreciation for this gift and said all the work of preparing for thisConference had been done not only from the heart and with passion, but also from conviction,because Argentina believed deeply in this forum for dialogue and ideas. He emphasized the need todiscuss and build ideas, especially now in response to the crisis, and recalled that the Declaration ofBuenos Aires, in gestation since 2007, had been adapted along the way to incorporate new points ofconsensus, such as recognition of the active role of the state. He said in this Declaration we were not

returning to prescriptions from the past, such as flexibilization in response to the crisis; on thecontrary, the Declaration focused on protecting the rights of workers, strengthening social protection,and the need for a state committed to preserving and protecting jobs. He said this was the great valueof this Conference, which continued to work on ideas to replace the old points of consensus, such asthe Consensus of Washington. He thanked the OAS and recalled the report presented, emphasizingthe RIAL, which was firming up successfully, and which he saw as a major element of support tolabor ministries in their efforts. He referred to the leadership roles these ministries continued toacquire in terms of government policy, which called upon them to strengthen their capacity topreserve jobs, improve wages, and increase the capacity of the labor force. He thanked the team ofhis Ministry and the foreign ministry for their intensive efforts in preparing for this event. Inconclusion he invited the ministries to continue working toward new ideas that would bring about adifferent worlda better and more just one.

With these remarks the Chair formally closed the XVI Inter-American Conference ofMinisters of Labor of the OAS.

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APPENDIX I RESOLUTIONS

Declaration of Buenos Aires 2009

Plan of Action of Buenos Aires 2009

Resolution 1: Modify the status of COTPAL, COSATE and CEATAL in the IACML

Resolution 2: Amendment of the Organization Plan of the Trade Union Technical AdvisoryCouncil

Resolution 3: Contribution of the XVI IACML to the G-20 process

Resolution 4: Vote of thanks to the people and government of Argentina

Declaration of COSATE to the XVI IACML

Declaration of CEATAL to the XVI IACML

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XVI INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE OEA/Ser.K/XII.16.1OF MINISTERSOF LABOR (IACML) CIDI/TRABAJO/DEC.1/09 (XVI-O/09)October 6-8, 2009 8 October 2009

Buenos Aires, Argentina Original: Spanish

DECLARATION OF BUENOS AIRES 2009:FACING THE CRISIS WITH DEVELOPMENT, DECENT WORK,

AND SOCIAL PROTECTION

(Adopted at the Closing Session held on October 8, 2009 andpending revision by the style committee)

1. WE, THE MINISTERS PARTICIPATING IN THE XVI INTER-AMERICANCONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF LABOR (IACML) OF THE ORGANIZATION OFAMERICAN STATES (OAS), met in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 6 to 8, 2009, conscious ofthe effects of the international economic crisis and especially concerned about its impact onemployment levels and job quality, and recognizing that the State in its role as guardian, among otherroles, has a proactive part to play in promoting employment and protecting the rights of workers,propose to move forward with a variety of innovative solutions that place decent work and socialprotection as fundamental pillars of development.

2. In the present context of the global economic downturn, we reaffirm ourcommitment to integral development and the principles of international cooperation and solidarityreflected in the Charter of the OAS. We confirm the full force and effect of the Inter-American

Democratic Charter of the OAS, adopted in Lima, Peru in September 2001, and reaffirm thatdemocracy and social and economic development are interdependent and mutually reinforcing: andfurther, that the promotion and strengthening of democracy requires the full and effective exercise ofworkers rights.

3. We reaffirm our obligations as members of the International Labour Organization(ILO) and our commitments to promote, respect and realize the principles in respect of thefundamental rights contained in the ILO Declaration. In this framework, we look to the ILODeclaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization adopted in 2008, and to the resolutionconcerning the promotion of sustainable enterprises adopted at the 96th Session of the InternationalLabor Conference for guidance.

4. We adopt the resolution Recovery from the crises: A Global Jobs Pact that cameout of the 98th Session of the International Labor Conference designed to guide national andinternational policies aimed at stimulating economic recovery, generating jobs and providingprotection to working people and their families.

5. We recall the labor mandates of the Fourth Summit of the Americas and the FifthSummit of the Americas, in whose declarations the Heads of State and Government of the Americasreaffirmed the central role of decent work in order to fight poverty and strengthen democraticgovernance. Further, we reaffirm our commitment to the promotion of human prosperity and will

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implement the specific mandate of our Heads of State and Government in the Declaration ofCommitment of Port of Spain 2009 to endorse at the Sixteenth IACML a work programme thatadvances the objectives of the promotion of decent work.

6. We express our concern that the present international economic crisis is affectingmillions of workers in our region. The impact of the current framework, requires the countries of theAmericas to take complementary actions at the national and regional level, allowing for ourdifferences and disparities, but committed to our common goals and persistent in our policies in orderto maintain activity levels and to continue promoting improvements in the living standards of ourpeoples.

7. We recognize the positive contribution of trade among our nations to the promotionof growth, employment, and development. We will therefore continue to insist on an open,transparent and rules-based multilateral trading system. We further recognize the need for all ourpeoples to benefit from the increased opportunities and welfare gains that the multilateral trading

system generates. We commit ourselves to continue analyzing, within the limits of our competencies,the labor dimension, the cooperation mechanisms contained therein, and the effects on employmentof the regional and subregional integration processes, as well as of bilateral and multilateral free tradeagreements.

8. Convinced of the need to involve society as a whole in policy shaping, we recognizethat dialogue among governments and the social actors is an indispensable mechanism for generatingthe consensus which would enable the social, political and economic sustainability of strategies forfacing the crisis and provide a broader basis of legitimacy for public policies designed to meet thefundamental needs of our peoples.

9. We are convinced that promotion of employment levels and protection of job quality,

in addition to being a prerequisite for sustainable democratic systems, are an indispensable objectivein tackling the impact of the crisis on the living standards of our peoples.

10. Therefore, we, the Ministers of Labor of the Hemisphere, conscious of the need forthe State through its public policies to play a proactive role, and to foster the accomplishment of theaforementioned objectives, adopt the following recommendations to guide the development of activelabor policies in our respective countries and to serve as a frame of reference for regional exchangeand cooperation measures.

COORDINATION OF POLICIES AND PROGRAMS FOR PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT ANDPROTECTING WORKERS RIGHTS: A GUIDING FRAMEWORK IN FACING THE CRISIS

11. We highlight the recovery and stimulus measures that have been implemented by ourcountries and others around the world in response to the greatest economic crisis in modern times.We are firm in our belief that the success of our actions will be measured by the men and womenengaged in dignified, decent and productive work.

12. We reaffirm our conviction of the need to continue to create innovative responsesand policies to confront the economic crisis which, on one hand, should be based on an integratedapproach that includes the economic, labor, social and ecological dimensions, and, on the other,

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should combine medium and long-term strategies and emergency measures for promotingemployment and protecting workers rights.

13. We declare our resolve to continue promoting employment and decent work ascentral issues of debates and decisions of the multilateral system, in order to tackle the crisis throughcoordinated actions and to set the foundations for a new development strategy in the context ofdemocracy and renewed global cooperation.

14. We will renew efforts to contribute to employment creation and preservation incollaboration with social and productive actors, other ministries and government agencies, within aframework of economic and environmental sustainability that combines management of naturalresources and technological innovation in harmony with the objectives of decent work. In the sameway, and embracing the postulates of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), we willpromote quality employment in jobs created in the framework of an environmentally sustainabledevelopment in view of its potential to generate income, create decent work, and reduce poverty.

15. Within the framework of the crisis, we will promote synergies between public andprivate investment in infrastructure, in order for project planning and execution to be orientedtowards those projects that contain a high employment coefficient and that, at the same time, promotedecent work and enhance job skills.

16. Based on the foregoing, at the national level and at local levels, we believecollaboration and exchange with other ministries and organizations in the economic, educational, andsocial sectors to be essential in developing measures to stimulate effective demand, help to maintainthe purchasing power of workers wages, sustain and fuel the growth of businesses, and contribute toan improvement in employment levels, inter alia, through macroeconomic stimulus packages, asappropriate.

THE ROLE OF MINISTRIES OF LABOR IN ADDRESSING THE CRISIS

17. In this time of economic crisis and, given its impact on employment, acknowledgingthe important role of our ministries in this context, we will strengthen labor administration capacityas a central element of all measures aimed at ensuring protection for workers, social securitycoverage, active employment policies, and social dialogue. The Ministries of Labor, as appropriate,can play a positive role contributing to the development of harmonious labor relations, healthy andsafe work environments and negotiated salaries. Their contributions are key for economic recoveryand prosperity with sustainable enterprises.

18. We reaffirm our commitment to ensure the effective enforcement of our national

labor laws and ensure effective observance of fundamental principles and rights at work. Werecognize that international labor standards will support economic recovery, and therefore, that theirpromotion is especially important at this time.

19. We will intensify our efforts to bring a significant reduction in levels of unregisteredwork, implementing or strengthening labor inspection and other mechanisms to enforce nationallabor laws in the workplace.

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20. Recognizing the heterogeneity of the informal economy in the countries of thehemisphere, we will encourage the adoption of measures to bring about its gradual formalization.This will help to improve working conditions and productivity, and will promote the Decent Work

Agenda.

21. We will foster skills development, upgrading, and retraining for workers throughtechnical, technological and professional training programs - coordinated with education andproduction needs, in order to improve their employability, with particular attention to those who willenter the labor market for the first time, those who are out of work, those in danger of losing theirjobs, and the most vulnerable groups. We will encourage the development of competencies thatenable appropriate harnessing of the potential of new information and communication technologies(ICTs) for enterprises and workers.

22. We will improve labor competencies and certification of skills, and seek thenecessary resources for Public Employment Services, as entities responsible for promoting activepolicies of labor insertion, training and mobility, so that jobseekers receive adequate services.

Furthermore, we will strive to ensure the quality and availability of their services, in particular forindividuals and groups most vulnerable to the crisis.

23. We recognize the need to strengthen or implement active and passive policyinstruments, in accordance with national circumstances, such as well-targeted emergencyemployment programs, in order to cushion the increase in unemployment, provide incomes toworkers who have been laid off or are at risk of losing their jobs, and build competencies thatimprove the employability of workers.

24. We will promote active policies to preserve employment in those companies whosesituation could affect economic activity and employment levels according to the situation of eachcountry. We will work, in collaboration with the social partners, to find options to minimize job

losses or otherwise mitigate the employment effect of the economic crisis within the framework ofrespect for workers rights and ongoing social dialogue.

25. We recognize the contribution of sustainable enterprises, including micro, small andmedium size enterprises and other production units, to poverty reduction, wealth creation andemployment generation. In current times, in some countries, there are enterprises that face a decreasein demand that, coupled with less access to credit, threatens their sustainability and couldconsequently lead to a decrease in jobs. Therefore, we will contribute to the creation of an enablingenvironment for the establishment and growth of enterprises.

26. We will redouble our efforts to promote equal treatment and equal opportunities inthe world of work, so that the economic crisis does not become a pretext for increased discrimination

in the labor market. We will augment our efforts, paying particular attention to vulnerable groups toprovide assistance and opportunities to young people at risk, persons with disabilities, senior citizens,low-paid and less qualified workers, persons employed in the informal economy, and migrantworkers, among others.

27. We will promote policies to provide full access to employment opportunities andtechnical, technological and professional training, as appropriate, for the population, in particularvulnerable groups, so that they can overcome poverty and social exclusion, where it exists, in theframework of policies to combat all forms of discrimination at work.

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28. We will deepen our efforts to eradicate forced and obligatory labor in all modalities,including bondage and semi-slavery, through integrated actions by the government and the society.

29. We will work towards a continuing reduction in the gender gap, promoting areduction of the disparities that exist between men and women in the world of work. Notwithstandingthe progress made in the last decades, there are challenges that become more relevant with the currenteconomic crisis. We commit ouselves to reinforce the mainstreaming of the gender perspective inemployment policies, and promote it in recovery programs. We will strive, in the area of ourcompetences, to ensure that all workplaces are free from violence and different forms of harassment.We will contribute to equity initiatives in the workplace that lead to a better balance between familyand workplace responsibilities.

30. We will give priority to reducing unemployment and precarious jobs for youngpeople in the hemisphere and will redouble efforts for their inclusion in vocational training,

apprenticeship, educational reentry programs and models for school to work transition, in order toincrease their access to decent and productive work.

31. We commit to protecting children from economic exploitation and from any tasksthat may interfere with their education and integral development, according to the principle of theeffective abolition of child labor, which is contained in the ILO Declaration on FundamentalPrinciples and Rights at Work (1998), in accordance with the commitment by our Heads of State andGovernment at the Fourth Summit of the Americas. In addition, we will contribute to the adoptionof coordinated national strategies to prevent and eradicate the worst forms of child labor by 2020 atthe latest, in accordance with the Declaration of Commitment of the Fifth Summit of the Americasand the Plan of Action of the Fourth Summit

Documents

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