Workers highlight role of decent and formal work for social inclusion

It has become a tradition for the OAS/GA to also serve as a forum for broad policy dialogue with a diverse set of actors, including representatives of workers, the private sector, civil society and other social actors. Heads of Delegation, Secretary General José Miguel Insulza and Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin participated in this multi-stakeholder dialogue, which provided an opportunity for these groups to present their recommendations on the theme of the 44th General Assembly of the OAS.  

Referring to the threats that poverty, inequality, and social exclusion pose to governance and security in the region, Secretary General Insulza stated, “Herein lies the importance of this dialogue. Civil society, the private sector, workers, youth, and in general, social stakeholders enhance the discussion with their experience and knowledge, helping to develop public policies that address this situation.”  

OAS-SEDI supported the process for negotiating the Trade Union Declaration, which was finalized in Paraguay and led by the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) and the Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE). The Declaration includes political, economic, social and environmental considerations for Member States, stating that “Trade unionism in the Americas is committed to an agenda for social inclusion, deepening social protection policies, growth and employment formalization and recovering the role of the State as the guarantor of citizens’ economic, social, cultural and environmental rights.” The Declaration, together with the Development Platform for the Americas (PLADA), intended to reduce structural inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean through sustainable development, were both presented at the Dialogue on June 3rd.  

Continued dialogue with workers’ representatives and Member States is facilitated by OAS-SEDI through the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML). Since 2009, COSATE has been a permanent consultative body of the IACML, offering an opportunity for workers to intervene and influence debates on labor issues at the regional level.

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