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Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor Promotes Dialogue between Governments, Employers, Workers and Youth

The XVIII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML) which begins today in Medellín, Colombia under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS), included as part of its deliberations several roundtables with ministers, workers’ representatives, employers and young people who discussed social inclusion and entrepreneurship.

The central event of the day was the "Roundtable on Youth Employment: The challenge of youth employment in the Americas: formulating policies for the generation of dignified, decent and productive work for our youth," chaired by the Minister of Labor of Colombia, Rafael Pardo; the OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Sherry Tross; and the Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder.

The roundtable provided an opportunity to exchange ideas on youth employment and its challenges and opportunities. The attending ministers shared the initiatives their governments have taken to promote youth employment, highlighting the importance of having an inclusive philosophy focused on this sector of the population.

Introducing the event, Minister Pardo said the issue of youth employment is critical and fundamental to all countries in the region. “Whatever the general level of unemployment is, youth unemployment is always much higher and even becomes double the general unemployment," he said, therefore, finding work for young people must be one of the main themes of the national agendas.

In that regard, Executive Secretary Tross said that "providing decent employment opportunities to our young people is not only a priority for our growth today, but crucial for the sustainability of our economies in the future." "The demographic transition in the region means that by 2050 the population over 60 years old will triple, so that if today an important contingent of young people are not contributing to social security, the gap that we will have in the public finances when these young people reach retirement age will be insurmountable," said the OAS official, who placed particular emphasis on the challenges faced by this sector of the population to access employment.

The discussion also included the participation of representatives of non-governmental social organizations, students and community leaders, who emphasized the importance of rethinking the educational system to promote skills that meet the labor needs of the 21st century. They also expressed their perspectives on access to job opportunities for low-income youth and marginalized sectors, and called for governments and society at large to work together in promoting youth entrepreneurship. Similarly, they spoke of the importance of moving from discussion to action and taking steps to protect the rights of young workers.

As part of the IACML there was also a meeting of the Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE), in which more than 80 union leaders participated, highlighting the need for countries in the region to adopt public policies focused on the defense and protection of workers rights, combating child labor, youth unemployment and union violence. They also urged countries in the region to take steps to combat the lack on protection systems and social security and to promote income transfer programs at the regional level. In the discussion, COSATE members expressed their concern over the vulnerability of some sectors of the population including youth, female workers, people with disabilities, farmworkers and migrants.

A meeting of the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL) also took place today, which focused its discussion on issues related to the promotion of the economic, labor and social skills necessary to promote and develop free enterprise, market economies and economic development in the region. During the meeting, the representatives of CEATAL highlighted the important opportunity that the IACML provides for an exchange between the sectors involved in the Inter-American dialogue on labor issues.

As a result of the two meetings, a joint COSATE - CEATAL declaration was adopted to be presented to the Labor Ministers meeting in Medellín. The document highlights that the large informal sectors of the economies of the Americas raise the need to adopt a multidimensional perspective that encompasses social, labor, economic and environmental issues focused on employment, and an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and the protection of workers.

The hemispheric conference on the labor sector opens this evening in Medellín with the participation of the Vice President of Colombia, Angelino Garzón; the ILO Director, Guy Ryder; the OAS Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Sherry Tross; Minister Rafael Pardo and the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare of El Salvador and President of the XVII IACML, Humberto Centeno.

This IACML is the main forum at the hemispheric level for discussion and decision-making on labor and employment matters. This year the Conference celebrates its 50th Anniversary under the theme “50 years of Inter-American dialogue for the promotion of social justice and decent work: progress and challenges toward sustainable development.” On this occasion, Ministers will address issues related to the articulation of economic and labor policies, employment as a keystone of equality and development, the protection of workers’ rights, and social dialogue.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-424/13