Highlights of ILO's Work in the Caribbean
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INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION Subregional Office for the Caribbean HIGHLIGHTS of ILO’S Work in the Caribbean May 2007 - March 2010 Highlights of ILO’s work in the Caribbean May 2007 to March 2010 Highlights of the ILO’s work in the Caribbean – May 2007 - March 2010 ii Highlights of the ILO’s work in the Caribbean – May 2007 - March 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview 1 Areas of Work 5 Technical Support and Advisory Services 5 Training 10 Policy Coherence and External Partnerships 15 Donor- and ILO-Funded Technical Cooperation 16 Research, Publications and Public Information 21 The Way Forward 23 iii Highlights of the ILO’s work in the Caribbean – May 2007 - March 2010 iv Highlights of the ILO’s work in the Caribbean – May 2007 - March 2010 1. Overview The International Labour Organization's goal of promoting opportunities for women and men to obtain full and productive employment in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity, provided the framework for the support given by the International Labour Organization’s Subregional Office for the Caribbean to its constituents in the Caribbean during the period May 2007 to March 2010. The Subregional Office, which celebrated its 40th Anniversary of service to the Caribbean subregion in 2009, is working with the tripartite constituents in the Caribbean to draw up and DECENT WORK AGENDA FOR GROWTH implement Decent Work Country WITH EQUITY Programmes (DWCP). These The Decent Work Agenda is a development Programmes are the mechanisms agenda which strives for economic growth with through which the ILO will equity through a coherent blend of social and collaborate with its constituents - economic goals. It has four elements which governments, employers' and are equally important and inseparable: workers' organizations, to make the Decent Work Agenda central to their 1. EMPLOYMENT – Creating greater national development strategies. opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment and incomes The Decent Work Agenda has been 2. SOCIAL PROTECTION – enhancing the coverage and effectiveness of social accepted as a development agenda protection for all by the international community. Its 3. SOCIAL DIALOGUE – strengthening relevance has become even more tripartism and social dialogue for all apparent as Caribbean constituents 4. RIGHTS –promoting and realizing deal with the effects of the global standards and fundamental principles and financial and economic crisis and rights at work prepare for post-crisis recovery. The Agenda has shaped deliberations in hemispheric and regional fora and the commitment to achieve decent work is reflected in the outcome documents of major international conferences as well as ILO meetings. They include the following: • The XVI Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML) (Organization of American States (OAS)), (Argentina, 2009) • ILO Tripartite Caribbean Conference on the Global Financial Crisis (Jamaica, April 2009) • The Fifth Summit of the Americas (OAS), (Trinidad and Tobago, April 2009) • Eleventh ILO Round Table for Caribbean Employers’ Organizations (Grenada, 2008) • ILO-Caribbean Congress of Labour Round Table for Caribbean Workers’ Organizations on Globalization, Regional Integration and the Economic Partnership Agreement: The Social and Labour Dimensions (Barbados, 2008) • ILO Sixth Meeting of Caribbean Labour Ministers (Trinidad and Tobago, 2007) • The XV Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML) (OAS) (Trinidad and Tobago, 2007) • ILO Sixteenth American Regional Meeting (Brazil, 2006) • ILO Tripartite Caribbean Employment Forum (Barbados, 2006) 1 Highlights of the ILO’s work in the Caribbean – May 2007 - March 2010 The adoption of the Tripartite Declaration and Plan of Action for Realizing the Decent Work Agenda at the ILO Tripartite Caribbean Employment Forum (Barbados, October 2006) paved the way for the development of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) in the Caribbean. The constituents resolved: “… to promote actively regional cooperation, in order to identify common needs, share good practices and develop strategies and programmes for advancing the Decent Work Agenda and reducing poverty.” In keeping with that commitment, tripartite consultations were undertaken with a view to selecting a few priorities for developing results-based DWCPs. The Bahamas initiated its DWCP in April 2008. In October 2009 Belize launched its DWCP together with the National Child Labour Policy. In keeping with their commitment to form an Economic Union, members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) agreed on four common priority areas for their Decent Work Subregional Programme. Under this Programme implementation plans that address specific domestic concerns are being drawn up through national tripartite consultations. To date, such plans have been finalized for Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Similar programming workshops will be held in Saint Kitts and Nevis and Dominica. Between January and March 2010, country programming workshops in Barbados, Jamaica and Guyana have resulted in the drafting of DWCPs for these countries by tripartite constituents and other stakeholders invited by them to participate in this process. The drafts are now under review by the constituents before they are finalized and adopted. An initial tripartite consultation for the design of a DWCP has taken place in Trinidad and Tobago. Suriname will inform the ILO of the areas that it has identified for support from the ILO as it implements the Decent Work Agenda in its national development programmes. The Office continued to reinforce its capacity-building initiatives, technical advisory services, delivery of knowledge products and advocacy. The scope of that support was broadened to include new areas in which constituents faced unprecedented challenges. For instance, the conclusion of external trade agreements, the adverse effects of the global financial crisis and climate change. The signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) by CARIFORUM (Caribbean Community and Dominican Republic) and the European Community in December 2007 raised concerns about the social and labour consequences. The global financial crisis heightened awareness of the importance of decent work and policy coherence for a fair globalization. That was reinforced at the ILO Tripartite Caribbean Conference on the Global Financial Crisis (Jamaica, 2009) at which a Declaration and Plan of Action were adopted. Subsequently, constituents, with the ILO’s support have adopted measures in line with the Decent Work Agenda, to respond to the crisis and to begin preparing for post-crisis recovery. For example, “Jamaica’s Jobs Pact for Economic Recovery” constitutes it Decent Work Country Programme; while the Bahamas is applying the principles of the Decent Work Agenda to deal with the employment effects of the crisis. With respect to climate change, the DWCP for Guyana provides for the 2 Highlights of the ILO’s work in the Caribbean – May 2007 - March 2010 creation of green jobs in the framework of the country’s low-carbon development strategy. This Report provides information on the ILO’s work in the English- and Dutch- speaking Caribbean. It highlights all areas covered by the Decent Work Agenda and updates information from May 2007. 3 Highlights of the ILO’s work in the Caribbean – May 2007 - March 2010 4 Highlights of the ILO’s work in the Caribbean – May 2007 - March 2010 2. Areas of Work 2.1. Technical Support and Advisory Services The ILO Subregional Office responds to specific requests for technical support, information and advisory services. These may be delivered in collaboration with officials from the technical units at ILO Headquarters, ILO consultants, and experts from employers’ and workers’ organizations in the Caribbean. Responses to requests for technical support, information and advisory services as at 31 March 2010 Date Area of support Form of support Beneficiaries EMPLOYMENT Dec. 2007 Cooperatives Technical review of the Cooperatives Trinidad and Division of the Ministry of Labour and Tobago Small and Micro Enterprise Development of Trinidad and Tobago and recommendations on the development of viable non-financial cooperatives in Trinidad and Tobago. Sep. 2009 Enterprise Partnered with the Youth Training and Trinidad and Development Employment Partnership Programme Tobago and Job Limited (YTEPP) to introduce the ILO’s Creation “Know About Business (KAB)” training of trainers programme. May 2009 Enterprise Technical expertise for a business Anguilla Development development seminar organized by the and Job Anguilla Chamber of Commerce and Creation Industry. Feb. 2009 Enterprise Partnered with the YTEPP to produce an Trinidad and Development adapted version of the ILO’s Start Your Tobago and Job Business Manual for potential Creation Entrepreneurs for Trinidad and Tobago. July 2008 Enterprise Partnered with the Government of Saint Saint Kitts and Development Kitts to facilitate a five-day Small and Nevis and Job Medium Enterprise Development Training Creation of Trainers Workshop. The Workshop utilized the ILO's Improve Your Work Environment and Business (IWEB) training programme and was facilitated by an ILO-certified IWEB trainer. Oct. 2009 Labour Market Participated in CARICOM's Thirty-Fourth CARICOM Information Meeting of the Standing Committee of Member States Caribbean Statisticians and the 17th Meeting of the Regional Census Coordinating Committee. 5 Highlights of the ILO’s