Dominican Republic and Central America Push for More Preponderance on the Issue of Employment

Labor ministers from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and the deputy Labor Minister from the Dominican Republic made a courtesy visit to the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, during the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Labor Ministers of Central America and the Dominican Republic, held at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington DC.

Members of the Council of Ministers and the OAS Secretary General discussed the importance that quality job preservation has taken on within the context of the world economic crisis which is being felt in the region.

Members of the Council of Ministers and the OAS Secretary General discussed the importance that quality job preservation has taken on within the context of the world economic crisis which is being felt in the region. They also talked about the celebration of the 5th Summit of the Americas to be held in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago from April 17-19. The theme of the summit will be “To Assure the Future of our Citizens Promoting Humane Prosperity, Energy Security and Sustainable Environment.”

Labor Ministers at the meeting included José Roberto Espinal Escobar from El Salvador,; from Guatemala, Edgar Alfredo Rodríguez; Honduran, Mayra Janeth Mejía del Cid; from Costa Rica, Francisco Morales Hernández; and Andrés Marranzini, Deputy Labor Minister from the Dominican Republic. Also present was Virgilio Levaggi, Deputy Regional Director of the International Labor Office (ILO) for Central American, Haiti, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

As part of the meeting in Washington, the Council of Ministers will also participate in the VIII Coordination Meeting on Labor Cooperation and the Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Central America and the Dominican Republic to be held at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The goals of the Council of Ministers include promoting comprehensive development in our countries, seeking social justice while establishing well-being within our societies and consolidating labor peace and harmony, said Andrés Marranzini, Dominican Deputy Labor Minister.

“The Council of Ministers is working to strengthen the institutions that administer the work to guarantee the effective application of labor laws, to develop norms for decent jobs especially for vulnerable groups such as young people and migrant workers as another way to achieve effective fulfillment of the commitments established in the DR-CAFTA and White Book agreements.”

Other topics discussed at the meeting included advances on a Research Project on the intra-regional flow of migrant workers in Central America and the Dominican Republic; the current situation and perspectives; advances in the promotion of the decent work program for the young people of Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

The ministers also coordinated the establishment of an inter-institutional technical cooperation agreement between the ministry of labor, Mexico and the Council of Labor Ministers of Central America and the Dominican Republic.

The Council of Labor Ministers of Central America and the Dominican Republic agreed that their next meeting will be held on March 14 -15 in Roatán, Honduras, which will take over the presidency of the council from El Salvador.

From left to right, Virgilio Levaggi, Deputy Regional Director of the International Labor Office (ILO) for Central American, Haiti, Panama and the Dominican Republic; Dominican Deputy Labor Minister, Andrés Marranzini; José Roberto Espinal Escobar, Labor Minister from El Salvador; José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS); Edgar Alfredo Rodríguez, Mayra Janeth Mejía del Cid and Francisco Morales Hernández, Labor Ministers from Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica.

Office of Communications