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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