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XXI Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML) of the OAS

Place and Date: Virtual. September, 22-24, 2021

Building a more resilient world of work with sustainable development, decent work, productive employment, and social inclusion

The theme of the XXI IACML was: "Building a more resilient world of work with sustainable development, decent work, productive employment, and social inclusion". The Ministers discussed and proposed hemispheric actions to address the devastating effects of COVID-19 on employment, build a new and better world of work, and develop more resilient, just and equitable societies. Under this approach, they discussed the future of work; the articulation between labor, economic, education and health policies; the expansion of social protection; the centrality of institutionalized social dialogue to overcome the crisis; and the strengthening of the Ministries of Labor to address emerging changes in the world of work, such as telework and the platform economy, among other issues of utmost relevance.

The XXI IACML was the firt virtual OAS Ministerial Labor Conference, and took place under the Chairmanship of the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina.

The meetings of the two IACML Consultative Bodies; the Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE), representing workers; and the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL), representing employers; also took place during these dates.

DOCUMENTS APPROVED DURING THE CONFERENCE:

• Declaration of Buenos Aires
• Plan of Action of Buenos Aires

MAIN OUTCOMES:

• The approval of the Declaration and Plan of Action of Buenos Aires, which mark a new roadmap. They contain the Hemisphere's consensus on priorities and concrete actions the region needs to take collectively, in the months and years to come, in order to “build a more resilient world of work with sustainable development, decent work, productive employment, and social inclusion” on issues such as: the preventive approach to occupational safety and health; universal social protection; improving compliance with labor laws; addressing work on digital platforms, telework and work from home; institutionalized social dialogue mechanisms; identification and development of 'skills for the future'; better coordination between education and labor; work towards the development of a Regional Qualifications Framework at the level of the Americas; deepening the institutionalization of gender in the Ministries of Labor as a means to achieve gender equality; and equal access of vulnerable persons to the labor market and full protection of their labor rights, considering that they have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

• The virtual presence of no less than 30 delegations from Member States, 20 of which were headed by Ministers of Labor, representing all sub-regions of the Americas, as well as workers' and employers' representatives, and leaders and specialists from international organizations and special guests. It is worth noting the presence of the OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, ILO Director General, Guy Ryder; the Minister of Education of Antigua and Barbuda, Darryl Matthew, Chair of the CIE; and the Minister of Labor of Spain, Yolanda Diaz.

• First ever tripartite session, with the Chairs and members of COSATE and CEATAL, around 'Institutionalized social dialogue to recover from the crisis and secure a future of work with social justice and sustainable development'.

• Recognition of the value and relevance of the Conference’s very own cooperation mechanism, the Inter-American Network for Labor Administration (RIAL), in supporting the Ministries of Labor in the way forward. The video presented during the Conference about the RIAL's impacts is available here.

• Reinforcement of the commitment to improve coordination between education and employment with the distinguished presence of the Minister of Education of Antigua and Barbuda, Chair of the Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE).

• Publication of the most recent gender study 'The Institutionalization of a Gender Approach in the Ministries of Labor of The Americas: Balance of a Decade'. This publication is even more relevant today than when it was envisioned in the XX IACML, given COVID-19 has disproportionately affected women. The study is available here.

• Establishment of two Working Groups to deepen the analysis of the Conference's priority themes, and election of their respective authorities as follows:

  • Working Group 1: 'Integrated public policies to address the COVID-19 crisis and achieve a human-centered, inclusive, sustainable and resilient recovery for a future of work with equity, social justice, and decent work'
    Authorities: Ministers of Labor of Chile (Chair), Trinidad and Tobago (Vice Chair) and Costa Rica (Vice Chair)
  • Working Group 2: 'Institutional strengthening of Ministries of Labor, and promoting institutionalized social dialogue to recover from the COVID-19 crisis and address emerging changes in the world of work'
    Authorities: Ministers of Labor of Colombia (Chair), Panama (Vice Chair), and United States (Vice Chair).

• Decision to hold the XXII IACML in Colombia in 2024.

DOCUMENTS OF THE MEETING:

• Document List
• Agenda
• Work Schedule
• Report of Working Group 1 to the XXI IACML
• Report of Working Group 2 to the XXI IACML
• Report of the Technical Secretariat to the XXI IACML
• Declaration of COSATE
• Declaration of CEATAL
• Final Report
• Participant List
• Agenda - Meeting of COSATE
• Agenda - Meeting of CEATAL
• Agenda - Meeting of COSATE & CEATAL
• Guide for speakers and guiding questions
• Information Bulletin

PRESENTATIONS AND SPEECHES BY SESSION:

Inaugural Session

• Claudio Omar Moroni, Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Colin Jordan, Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations of Barbados, Chair of the XX IACML
  -Speech
• Guy Ryder, Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO)
  -Speech
• Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS)
  -Speech

First Pleneary Session

• Election of the Chair of the XXI IACML and ratification of agreements adopted during the Preparatory Meeting
• Report of the Technical Secretariat on the follow-up to the XX IACML by Kim Osborne, Executive Secretary for Integral Development of the OAS
  -Presentation
  -Recording
  -Video: Impacts of the RIAL
  
• Comments from delegations

Second Plenary Session: Institutionalized social dialogue to recover from the crisis and secure a future of work with social justice and sustainable development

• Claudio Omar Moroni, Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina, Chair of the XXI CIMT
  -Speech -Recording
• Marta Pujadas, Chair of the Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE)
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Daniel Funes de Rioja, Chair of the Bussiness Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Matters (CEATAL)
  -Recording

Third plenary session: The importance of the world of work to COVID-19 recovery and to the development of more resilient, sustainable, just and inclusive societies

• Pablo Mieres, Minister of Labor and Social Security of Uruguay
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Silvia Lara Povedano, Minister of Labor and Social Security of Costa Rica
  -Recording
• Stephen Mc Clashie, Minister of Labour of Trinidad and Tobago
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Angel Custodio Cabrera, Minister of Labor of Colombia
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Onyx Lorenzoni, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Brasil
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Thea Lee, Deputy Undersecretary of International Affairs of the United States Labor Department
  -Recording
• Comments from delegations
  • Intervention of Yolanda Diaz, Minister of Labor and Social Economy of Spain
    -Speech
    -Recording

Fourth plenary session: Better coordination of economic, education, health and labor policies to address and overcome the effects of the crisis and achieve the future of work we want

• Darryl Matthew, Minister of Education of Antigua and Barbuda, Chair of the Inter-American Education Commission
  - Speech
  -Recording
• Patricio Melero Abaroa, Minster of Labor and Social Security of Chile
  -Presentation
  -Recroding
• Veronica Patricia Navia Tejada, Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of Bolivia
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Karl Samuda, Minister of Labour and Social Security of Jamaica
  -Specch
  -Recording
• Comments from delegations

Fifth Plenary Session: Strenghthening Ministries of Labor to address emerging changes in the world of work and the effects of the pandemic

• Luis Miguel De Camps, Minister of Labor of the Dominican Republic
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Patricio Donoso, Minister of Labor of Ecuador
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Wendy C. Phipps, Minister of International Trade, Industry, Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Labour
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Olvin Villalobos, Minister of Labor of Honduras
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Comments from delegations

Sixth Plenary Session

• Establishment of the working groups of the XXI IACML and election of their authorities
  
• Establishment of the XXI IACML host country
  
• Consideration and adoption of the Declaration and Plan of Action of Buenos Aires
  

Closing Session

• Vinicius Pinheiro, ILO regional Director for Latin America and teh Caribbean
  -Recording
• Ambassador Audrey P. Marks, Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the OAS and Chair of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development
  -Speech
  -Recording
• Claudio Omar Moroni, Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina
  -Speech
  -Recording

Candidacies presented by the Ministries of Labor to serve as IACML authorities:

• Candidacy of Colombia (Venue XXII IACML and Chair of Working Group 2)
• Candidacy of Trinidad and Tobago (Vice-Chair of Working Group 1)
• Candidacy of Panama (Vice-Chair of Working Group 2)
• Candidacy of the United States (Vice-Chair of Working Group 2)
• Candidacy of Chie (Chair of Working Group 1)
• Candidacy of Costa Rica (Vice-Chair of Working Group 1)