Belmopan. September 27, 2021. 4:00 p.m.
From September 23 to 24, Hon. Oscar Requena, Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government, virtually attended the 21st Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labour (IACML), which was hosted by Argentina’s Ministry of Labour.
Mr. Guy Ryder, International Labour Organization (ILO) Director General, gave the opening presentation. Mr. Ryder reflected on the direction of economic recovery over the past 18 months since the COVID-19 crisis began. He expressed that jobs lost have yet to be recovered and that there is a high regional unemployment rate of 11%. “The pandemic has brought the world of work to its knees. It has led to unemployment, underemployment and inactivity, with a sharp increase in poverty and informality, and a widening of inequalities around the world,” Ryder said.
During the sessions, other countries in the region indicated that about 70% of the jobs recovered thus far consists of informal occupations. Ryder stressed that in the search for solutions, it is important to address “the synergy that must exist between labour and economic, financial and environmental policies, if we are to achieve socio-economic recovery with decent work and people-centred sustainable enterprises. The renewal and adaptation of labour ministries and their institutions, such as labour inspection, to the new realities is key.” He considered it important that the issue of social dialogue has a prominent place on the agenda of the Inter-American meeting.
Minister Requena stated that, “The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the economies of the entire region. It has, however, also created new opportunities for the government to re-strategize on how to rebuild the economy, with a particular focus on decent work, marginalized and vulnerable groups, and the need for inter-ministerial collaboration in key ministries such as health, education, labour, and economic development.”
The Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labour is a primary forum for discussion and policy decisions on priorities and actions to be taken on labour issues in the region. It was initiated more than 50 years ago and is the oldest sectoral conference of the Organization of American States (OAS).
H.E. Luis Almagro, Secretary-General of the OAS, was also present at the conference.
Ends
