Organización de los Estados Americanos
Organização dos Estados Americanos
Organisation des États américains
Organization of American States
Events of the OAS Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML)
Date:
Venue:
Address:
May 19-22, 2009
Ruben Dario Room (8th floor), OAS Headquarters
1889 F St. NW, Washington D.C.
In compliance with the IACML Calendar of Activities for 2008-2009, the following events will take place in
OAS Headquarters in Washington D.C.:
-
RIAL Workshop on Successful Labor Inspection Models:
Second Working Groups Meeting within the framework of the XV IACML:
First Preparatory Meeting of the XVI IACML:
May 19
May 20 and 21
May 22
Objectives:
1) To exchange experiences on successful labor inspection models during a Workshop of the InterAmerican Network for Labor Administration (RIAL).
2) Continue the discussion on the topics and tasks assigned by the Declaration and Plan of Action
of Port of Spain 2007 to the Working Groups of the IACML:

Working Group 1: “Decent Work as an Instrument for Development and Democracy in the
Context f Globalization”, and

Working Group 2: “Strengthening the Capacities of the Ministries of Labor to Respond to
the Challenges of Promoting Decent Work in the Context of Globalization”.
3) Begin the preparatory process of the XVI IACML that will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina
from September 23 to 25, 2009.
Preliminary Agenda
DAY 1 – Tuesday, May 19
RIAL Workshop on Successful Labor Inspection Models
8:00 – 9:00
Registration
9:00 – 9:30
Inaugural session
Chair pro tempore of XV IACML (Trinidad and Tobago); OAS Dpt. of Social Development
and Employment; Director General of Federal Labor Inspection of STPS-Mexico.
9:30 – 11:15
Panel 1 – Steps taken to attain greater effectiveness, impact, and coverage of labor
inspection
- Presentations from 2 or 3 Ministries of Labor (15 min each)
- Open Dialogue (1 hour)
Guiding questions: What experiences, programs, and strategies has your country implemented for
expanding geographical coverage, and for more precisely identifying labor law infractions and
obtaining greater effectiveness in the imposition of sanctions? How has it pursued inspector
professionalization to ensure that its personnel are qualified and that they know the law and how to
enforce it? Has it devised any policies for maintaining and/or expanding its inspector numbers?
What steps have been taken to encourage social interlocutors to participate in inspection activities?
-211:15 – 11:30
Coffee Break
11:30 – 13:30
Panel 2 – Actions to ensure compliance with standards and improve working
conditions
- Presentations from 2 Ministries of Labor (15 min each)
- Presentations from COSATE and CEATAL (15 min each)
- Open Dialogue (1 hour)
Guiding questions: What strategies, institutional programs, or experiences has your country
developed for promoting a culture of compliance among workers and employers? What steps have
been taken to encourage social interlocutors to participate in compliance activities?
13:30 – 15:00
Lunch
15:00 – 16:30
Panel 3 – Strategies for optimizing oversight and supervision and for combating
corruption in labor inspections
- Presentations from 2 or 3 Ministries of Labor (15 min each)
- Open Dialogue (1 hour)
Guiding questions: What tools has your ministry designed to implement information systems for
keeping records of inspections and for following up on them? What methods and systems has your
ministry of labor designed to identify irregularities on the part of inspectors, and to apply the
corresponding sanctions? How have labor inspectors participated in the design and creation of
good inspection practices? How has the government supported those actions? Are there any
strategies for feedback from productive agents?
16:30 – 16:45
Coffee Break
16:45 – 17:30
Final considerations regarding the challenges facing labor inspection in the
current economic climate
- Presentation from STPS of Mexico on the actions undertaken on labor inspection in
the current economic climate. (20 min)
- Input and comments from participants. (25 min)
17:30 – 18:00
Closing Session
- Presentation of summary of main ideas and lessons learned of the workshop
- Closing remarks by Dr. Álvaro Castro Estrada, Undersecretary for Labor at the
STPS.
DAY 2 – Wednesday, May 20
IACML Working Group 1 meeting
WG1 Authorities:
Chair: Ministry of Labor and Employment of Brazil
Vice-Chairs: United States Department of Labor and Ministry of Labor of Guyana
9:00 – 9:15
Opening remarks from WG1 Chair
9:15 – 13:00
Panel 1 – The global economic crisis, its effects on labor markets and measures to
mitigate impacts on employment
Moderator: Chair or Vice-chair of WG1 (to be defined)
-3-
9:15 – 10:15
The current economic crisis and its effects on labor markets
- Presentation from ECLAC (25 min)
- Open Dialogue (35 min)
Guiding Questions: Which are the main causes of the crisis? What are the current forecasts in
terms of economic growth and macroeconomic indicators? How are labor markets impacted in
terms of employment, levels of informality and labor mobility? How are vulnerable populations
being affected by the crisis?
10:15 – 10:30
Coffee Break
10:30 – 13:00
Policies and programs to address the crisis and to mitigate impacts on
employment
- Presentation from ILO (25 min)
- Presentation from Inter-American Development Bank (25 min)
- Presentation from the World Bank (25 min)
- Open Dialogue (1 hour, 15 min.)
Guiding Questions: What policies and programs can be developed to address the crisis and
mitigate its effects on labor markets? What is the role of social protection schemes in this regard
and how are they addressing the crisis? How can the strength of social protection systems and
adherence to the ILO´s Declaration on FPRW be sustained? What are examples of active and
passive labor market policies that have been implemented? What effects can be perceived from the
adopted measures? Is it possible to replicate them in other countries?
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch
14:00 – 16:30
Panel 2 - The responses of Ministries of Labor and the perspective of social actors
to the current economic crisis
Moderator: Chair or Vice-Chair of WG1 (to be defined)
-
Presentations from 3 MOLs – (20 min each)
Presentations from COSATE and CEATAL (20 min. each)
Open Dialogue (1 hour)
Guiding Questions: What measures, programs and/or policies have MOLs already undertaken to
respond to the crisis? How are the National Plans for Decent Work being adapted to respond to the
crisis? What further measures are being considered? Particularly addressing:
Increased pressures on the informal economy and unregistered work.
Risk of intensification of child and forced labor and a reversion of the social and labor
advancements attained in the last years.
Support to micro, small and medium sized enterprises.
Workforce development (training and retraining) and employment services.
Policy articulation and coordination with other sectors, including social protection measures.
Investing in emerging industries with potential to create new jobs (including “green jobs”)
Need to balance short-term measures to address the crisis and support a quick re-entry of
workers into the labor market with measures to address long-term structural change and
sustainability.
16:30 – 16:45
Coffee Break
16:45 – 18:10
Panel 3 – Other WG1 key issues: Youth employment, labor migration and gender
Moderator: Chair or Vice-Chair of WG1 (to be defined)
16:45 – 17:10
Youth employment: main issues and lessons learned, as discussed during RIAL
workshop on the topic, presented by Brazil and/or USA (10 min), recommendations from
Technical Secretariat (10 min) and dialogue
-417:10 – 17:35
RIAL workshop on Labor migration and labor market information systems: Main ideas
and lessons learned, presented by Tech. Secretariat or Canada (10 min) and dialogue
17:35 – 18:00
Update of the Gender project within the RIAL: Study and future Workshop, presented by
Tech. Secretariat
18:00 – 18:10
Closing remarks by WG1 chair and adjournment
DAY 3 – Thursday, May 21
IACML Working Group 2 meeting
WG2 Authorities:
Chair: Ministry of Labor of El Salvador
Vice-Chairs: Ministries of Labor of Uruguay and Canada
9:00 – 9:15
Opening remarks - WG2 Chair
9:15 – 11:00
Panel 1 - Effective enforcement of labor laws: Components of promotion,
awareness and social responsibility
Moderator: WG2 Chair
-
Presentations from 2 Ministries of Labor (20 min each)
Presentation from “Business for Social Responsibility”
Open dialogue (1 hour)
Guiding Questions: Which strategies are the Ministries of Labor developing to promote a culture of
compliance of labor legislation? What actions are being undertaken to promote and raise
awareness of labor rights and obligations? What examples can be identified regarding government
practices that encourage social responsibility and enforcement of labor laws?
11:00 – 11:15
Coffee break
11:15 – 13:00
Panel 2 - Strengthening of labor administration: Management and planning models
Moderator: WG2 Chair or Vice-Chair (to be defined)
-
Presentation from ILO (20 min)
Presentations from 2 Ministries (20 min each)
Open dialogue (45 min)
Guiding Questions: Are the Ministries of Labor advancing in the definition of strategic plans and
results-oriented management? Are MOLs setting specific goals and developing performance
indicators (including those related to client satisfaction and labor inspection)? How has the
elaboration of Decent Work Country Plans contributed to improving management, planning and
evaluation of labor administration? What successful experiences can be found in the region in this
regard?
13:00 – 14:30
Lunch
14:30 – 16:00
Panel 3 - International Cooperation on Labor Matters
Moderator: WG2 Vice-Chair (to be defined)
-
RIAL Update - results, by OAS (20 min)
Presentation from 1 Ministry about RIAL achievements and suggestions (15 min)
Complement with some experience of south-south cooperation (20 min)
Open Dialogue (30 min)
-5Guiding Questions: What are the challenges associated with labor cooperation and how can
cooperation be enhanced to obtain more impact on institutional strengthening? What are the RIAL’s
main achievements, lessons learned and challenges? What suggestions do countries have to
continue improving the RIAL and making it more sustainable in the medium and long term?
16:00 – 16:15
Coffee Break
16:15 – 17:45
Other key topics of WG2: Social Dialogue, Occupational Health and Safety and
Employment Services
Moderator: WG2 Vice-Chair (to be defined)
16:15 – 16:45 Social Dialogue
- Results of the RIAL Workshop on Social Dialogue, April, 2008 – presented by
Uruguay.
- Participation of workers and employers organizations in the OAS General Assembly
and the Summit of the Americas – presented by OAS
16:45 – 17:05
Occupational Health and Safety: Results of the RIAL Workshop held in Cusco, Peru in
October, 2008 – presented by Peru
17:05 – 17:25
Public Employment Services: Results of the RIAL Workshop held in Panama City in
December, 2008 – presented by Panama
17:25 – 17:45
Open Dialogue
17:45
Closing remarks by WG2 chair and adjournment
DAY 4 – Friday, May 22
First Preparatory Meeting of the XVI IACML
9:00 – 9:15
Introduction to the meeting, by the OAS and the Chair of the XV IACML (Trinidad and
Tobago)
9:15 – 10:45
Definition of the agenda of the XVI IACML, to be held on September 23 to 25, 2009 in
Buenos Aires, Argentina
 Proposal presented by the Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security of
Argentina
 Open dialogue
10:45 – 11:00
Coffee Break
11:00 – 13:00
Consideration and discussion of the main ideas of the Declaration of the XVI
IACML
 Proposal presented by the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security of
Argentina
 Open dialogue
13:00 – 14:30
Lunch
14:30 – 17:30
Continuation of the discussion of the main ideas of the Declaration of the XVI IACML
17:30 – 18:00
Adjournment – Authorities of Argentina, Trinidad and Tobago, OAS and Mexico