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XLVII General Assembly of the OAS

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Dialogue of the Heads of Delegation, the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary General with the Representatives of the workers, private sector, civil society and other social actors in the framework of the XLVII General Assembly of the OAS

Date: June 19, 2017 - 9:30am to 12:00pm
Venue: Moon Palace Arena Convention Center, Cancun, Mexico
 


The main objective of the Dialogue, which is part of the 47th General Assembly of the OAS, is to provide to the representatives of the different groups the opportunity to present their recommendations to the Heads of Delegation of member states, Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General of the OAS on the theme of the General Assembly “Strengthening the dialogue and the concertation for prosperity”

The dialogue began with a welcoming address from the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, and the Chair of the General Assembly, Luis Videgaray Caso, Minister of Exterior relations of the United States of Mexico. Representatives of workers and employers participated in two segments of the dialogue, integral Development and Prosperity in the Hemisphere as well as Human Rights, Rule of Law and Democracy. Following each round, the Heads of Delegation shared their remarks on the themes discussed.

The spokesmen for the workers were: Julio Rosales, representative of the Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE),and Jose Olvera, representative of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA). In their interventions, the workers emphasized the importance of not only developing economically, but also integrating aspects of social development and environmental sustainability. They also emphasized the role of the state as guarantor of the design, implementation and evaluation of development policies, with always the priorities expressed democratically by its population being at the basis of these policies. They welcomed the adoption of 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which is an integral and indivisible plan of action against exclusion that seeks to raise the wellbeing of our peoples.

Representing the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL) was John Craig of the Canadian Employer's Council, who highlighted in his speech that social dialogue and horizontal cooperation are indispensable aspects for integral development. Similarly, he also said that decent work and productive employment is essential for social and economic development, but that groups such as young people and women face greater difficulties in inserting themselves into the labor market. He emphasized the need for concerted action to develop public policies and programs that empower vulnerable groups to enter and remain in the labor market. He also stressed the importance of developing public-private partnerships focused on education and training and the implementation of programs that foster entrepreneurship.