María Claudia Camacho, RIAL Coordinator

Department of Social Development and Employment, SEDI, OAS

Working Group 2 Meeting- Montevideo, Uruguay, April 17 2008

The Inter-American Network for Labor Administration (RIAL):

Advances, Operation Guide and future activities

• RIAL Background

• What is the RIAL and how does it operate?

• What does the RIAL do?

• Tools and completed activities

• Results

• Activities 2008 - 2009

CONTENTS

RIAL Background

XIII IACML, 2003 - 2005: Feasibility Study – Mechanism to strengthen labor administration, within the IACML.

OAS-ILO proposal is presented during XIV IACML Preparatory Meeting.

XIV IACML, Mexico, 2005: Plan of Action mandates the OAS to seek financing and to explore the functioning of the RIAL.

2006 - 2007: MOL of Canada grants financing –start

Dec. 2007: IACML authorities aprove the Operation Guide

¿What is the RIAL and how does it operate?

• It is the cooperation and technical assistance mechanism of the IACML.

• Objective: to strengthen the institutional and human capacities of the MOL, through an integrating mechanism for dissemination of knowledge and experiences.

• It is coordinated by the DSDE of the OAS (Tech. Secretariat of the IACML)

• Priorities and activities: Defined every 2 years by the IACML authorities (troika, Pres. and Vice-pres. of WGs)

• Financed by the Government of Canada up until now, with in-kind contributions from various Ministries.

¿What does the RIAL do?

• Identifies, systematizes and disseminates programs and projects of MOL

• Fosters critical transfer of experiences and lessons learned

• Facilitates communication between MOL and other actors

• Improves the ability of the MOL to identify their needs and to formulate proposals to receive technical and financial assistance.

• Strengthens coordination and collaboration among organizations and cooperation agencies

Tools

• Portfolio of Programs

• Workshops and Seminars

• Studies and technical documents

• Cooperation Fund

• Webpage and virtual fora

• Videoconferences

• RIAL Newsletter

IACML

Working

Groups

Tools - PortfolioUpdated version is online!

Today: 79 programs from 13 Ministries in 6 areas

50%

22%

11%

9% 4% 4%

Employment

Labor

Information andResearchLaor Relations

Social Security

InstitutionalStrengthening

Tools– Workshops and Seminars- Dialogue, reflection and exchange- lessons learned

- Directed at specialized officers of the MOLs, COSATE and CEATAL, with international orgs. experts and others

1. Occupational Health and Safety

2. Employment services and Labor

Market Observatories

1. Labour Rights of migrant workers

2. Technical assistance

3. Labor dimension of FTAs and

integration processes

6. Social Dialogue

Completed thus far:

First RIAL study: “Gender Equality for Decent Work”

•Served as the base for the “Strategic Guidelines of the XV IACML” on gender approved by COTPAL (Sept.2007)

Tools – Studies

Provide updated and pertinent information, identify programs and suggest action steps to follow.

• Finances cooperation activities among MOL

• Open call, covers travel expenses for on-site visits or expert's visits.

• Financing: MOL of Canada, USA and offering countries.

Tools – Cooperation Fund

Beneficiary MOL Providing MOL SubjectDominican Republic Argentina Labor Conciliation (In Arg.)

Dominican Republic Argentina Labor Conciliation (In DR)

Peru Argentina Informal Sector (In Arg.)

Peru Argentina Informal Sector (In Peru)

Costa Rica Argentina Conflict resolution

Paraguay Brazil MOL Restructuring

Argentina Brazil Inspection (Maritime fluvial)

Trinidad and Tobago United States Occ. Health and Safety

FIRST CALL FOR PROPOSALS (2007)

8 completed activities:

Tools – Cooperation Fund

• January 15 – March 15, 2008

• 61 proposals from 21 countries were received

• 20 proposals selected for 2008– 7 granted by Argentina– 6 granted by Chile– Topics incluye: OHS, mediation, strategic planning, gender equity, social security, PES

SECOND CALL FOR PROPOSALS (2008)

Tools – Cooperation Fund

ToolsDiffusion and communication

•Webpage and virtual fora

•Video-conferences (in the future)

•RIAL Newsletter

Results

In almost 2 years, the RIAL has accomplished:

• 6 Hemispheric exchange workshops

• 8 bilateral activities among MOL

• 247 representatives of MOL, worker and employer organizations trained

• 10 international organizations involved (ILO, IDB..)

• 11 research centers and NGOs participated

• 1 technical study on Gender and Work

• 80 programs from the Ministries of Labor in the Portfolio

Activities 2008 - 2009• Seminar on Youth Employment Generation (May 2008, Brazil)

• Workshop on occupational health and safety (Aug.08, Peru)

• Workshop on Public Employment Services (Oct.08, Panama)

• Workshop on gender mainstreaming (February 2009, Canada)

• Workshop on labor inspection (April 2009, Mexico)

• Workshop on fundamental principles and rights at work (June 2009, Guyana)

• 20 cooperation fund activities

• Permanent update of the Portfolio

Contact information:

María Claudia CamachoRIAL Coordinator

Department of Social Development and Employment, SEDI, OAS

mcamacho@oas.org

www.sedi.oas.org/ddse

Thanks