Major Programme 260. Field Programmes in the Americas

Summary of 1998-99 proposals and comparison with previous biennium (including funds from other sources)

260.1. Democracy is becoming better established in the Americas region and political stability has greatly improved. In this context, the establishment and proper functioning of social dialogue and tripartite consultation  at  the  national  and  local  levels  is  an essential  factor  in  fostering  peace  and  democracy, particularly in countries that are emerging from situations of conflict. Changes are also required in industrial relations systems to adapt them to a context of economic liberalization and regional integration. In most countries in the region, reforms are being introduced to respond to the new economic and political situation, in which tripartite dialogue can play a vital role in encouraging a broad measure of support for economic policies aiming at growth with employment creation.

260.2. The recent slowdown in economic growth from an annual average of 3.6 per cent between 1990 and 1994 to 1.7 per cent in 1996 has interrupted the moderate recovery experienced during the first half of the nineties and affected progress made in the region in the field of employment. Moreover, the economies in the region have become more vulnerable in the wake of the Mexican crisis. The main cause of the setback in economic recovery is the new adjustment measures adopted to cope with accrued imbalances. Although many countries in the region are being successful in containing inflation, slower economic growth is leading to increasing open unemployment, stagnating minimum wages and deteriorating real industrial wages.

260.3. Employment expansion has been insufficient to offset the growth in labour supply in the region. Job creation in the private sector depends both on the pace of economic growth and on the stage of restructuring reached by a country. Countries at a more advanced stage of structural adjustment generate jobs more rapidly than those in the early stages of the process, even where rates of economic growth are similar. As the level of employment is reduced in the public sector as a result of privatization and measures to reduce fiscal deficits, the informal sector absorbs a significant share of the labour supply, mainly in low productivity and low-income jobs. Eighty-four out of every one hundred new jobs created are in the informal sector, which accounts for over 50 per cent of non-agricultural employment in the region.

260.4. Progress continues to be made in the processes of regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean. Chile is now a party to the MERCOSUR agreement, while Panama has been invited to join the Andean Pact, recently converted into the Andean Economic Union. However, in order to counteract a tendency to concentrate mainly on trade, investment and competitiveness, greater attention needs to be given to the social and labour dimensions of regional integration. The liberalization of trade has tended to bring to the forefront factors that influence competitive advantage and differences in labour costs and social policies. In addition to multilateral discussions, including those in the ILO’s tripartite bodies, there is a need for more analysis of these issues in the context of MERCOSUR.

Priorities and objectives

260.5. In the light of the social and economic problems in the region, and through a process of regular consultation with the ILO’s constituents on their priority needs, the following three major objectives have been identified for ILO action in the region:

the promotion of democracy in a new economic and social context;

the expansion of productive employment and the reduction of unemployment; and

the improvement of working conditions and social protection.

260.6. The above priority objectives are in accordance with the conclusions and recommendations adopted at major international fora, including the World Summit for Social Development, regional and subregional meetings of Ministers of Labour and meetings of employers’ and workers’ organizations. In the context of the active partnership policy, support and technical assistance will be provided to constituents based on a demand-driven approach, particularly in the context of the activities set out in the country objectives formulated in consultation with the tripartite constituents at the national level. A selection of topics has also been made in the framework of national and regional programmes for execution with extra-budgetary funds, which have increased over the past biennium as a result of the support of constituents and the increased interest shown by major donors.

Promotion of democracy in a new economic and social context

260.7. The consolidation of the democratic process in Latin American countries remains a major concern for the ILO in the region, with particular emphasis on promoting broader participation by the institutions of civil society in social and economic development. In this respect, there is a need for the further development of tripartite consultative mechanisms as a channel for social dialogue through which the viewpoints of the social partners and governments can be reconciled.

260.8. The ILO’s initiative of promoting its fundamental Conventions has been successful in the region and has made a significant contribution to the promotion of basic human and workers’ rights. In view of the different levels of support required by member States, an approach with three main components will continue to be pursued, consisting of: the further strengthening of national institutions and the capacity of the social partners to participate in tripartite social dialogue, as a basis for broader participation and democratic consensus; the enhancement of social dialogue in the new economic context, with the inclusion of new policy areas; and the pursuit of consistency between the need for national dialogue and the process of decentralization in response to economic challenges.

Promotion of fundamental ILO standards

260.9. As part of the follow-up to the Social Summit, which recognized the effectiveness of the ILO’s standard-setting action, the Director-General’s initiative for the ratification of the ILO’s Conventions on basic workers’ rights has resulted in important progress being made in the region, both in terms of further ratifications and in the requests for assistance made to overcome problems in their application. However, special efforts still need to be made to encourage countries that have not yet ratified the fundamental Conventions to do so. In many cases, the reasons for non-ratification are related to technical problems, such as the absence of legislation on a particular topic. The provision of technical assistance can be of a great value in overcoming problems of this nature. The ratification and application of the ILO’s basic standards, and particularly those relating to the prohibition of forced labour and child labour, freedom of association and the right to bargain collectively, non-discrimination in employment, and equal remuneration for men and women workers, is identified as priority objective in the country objectives of most countries in the region.

260.10. The objective in this respect is an improved understanding by constituents of the ILO’s fundamental standards, with a view to their wider ratification and implementation. Although many countries in the region have already ratified these standards, it is hoped to significantly increase the overall rate of ratification in the course of the biennium. A related objective is the development of the capacity of the officials responsible for labour legislation in Ministries of Labour and employers’ and workers’ organizations to make use of ILO standards in their work. The dissemination of information and the organization of seminars and training activities will be continued, including the arrangement of national seminars on international labour standards in the Andean countries and in selected Central American and Caribbean countries. Technical advisory services will also be provided to countries that are emerging from war situations to promote the ratification of the fundamental Conventions and improve the application of those that they have already ratified.

260.11. Building on the ILO’s successful experience in Central America, and particularly in the peace process in Guatemala, activities will be carried out in a number of countries in the region to promote equitable social and economic development, in accordance with the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169). Training and information will be provided to constituents and the representatives of indigenous peoples with a view to the incorporation of indigenous rights in national laws and regulations. Technical advisory services will be supplied to assist national authorities address the political and social exclusion of indigenous peoples. Regional and national seminars will be organized and studies undertaken on the social protection of ethnic groups, minorities and vulnerable groups, with a view to the integration of indigenous peoples. The ILO will also assist in the implementation of the sectoral components of the Guatemala peace agreement, particularly in relation to social and labour issues.

Strengthening social dialogue

260.12. The process of trade liberalization has become the basic element of the new development strategy in the Americas, which is centred on economic integration in the region. The process is already affecting labour systems in the countries involved and, as such, is providing a new need for ILO action to promote social justice through the application of fundamental labour standards. The predominance of the market and diminished interventions by the State require an increased presence of the social partners. Without their active participation, economic progress is unlikely to be accompanied by proper observance of the principle of social equity and will not therefore be sustainable. In view of the new trends in production in the context of economic integration, it is therefore necessary to develop a new approach to labour relations, which should not be confined to issues of labour legislation, but should include the questions of productivity and technological change. The strengthening of social dialogue has been identified as a priority in the region in most of the country objectives that have been prepared.

260.13. The objectives in this programme area are: the improved capacity of employers’ and workers’ organizations to play an active role in the process of tripartite consultation in the context of globalization and integrated markets; and the adoption of innovative policies on issues of social justice and economic performance by the constituents. It is expected that, by the end of the biennium, substantial progress will have been made in areas such as employment policy, solidarity, competitiveness in the context of economic integration, the enforcement of basic workers’ rights and social protection for workers, including migrants. Advisory services, including technical guidelines, will be provided at the regional and national levels. Technical assistance will also be supplied to employers’ and workers’ organizations to strengthen their capacity to participate in regional fora and in social dialogue in the context of the modernization of production and structural adjustment. In all these activities, emphasis will be placed on ensuring that increased competitiveness is secured in the context of a constructive system of labour relations.

Modernization of Ministries of Labour

260.14. In a context in which State intervention is tending to diminish in the economy and in production, Ministries of Labour are being called upon to play a different and more active role, which includes the adoption of initiatives to promote tripartite mechanisms and extend social protection. Their new role sometimes extends to mediating between the Ministries responsible for economic affairs and social policies. This new role requires the development of new analytical capacities, particularly with a view to the proposal of new issues for inclusion in the policy agenda, such as training and vocational programmes adapted to the new labour market requirements and reforms to adapt legislation to the characteristics of emerging occupational categories. Permanent contacts need to be maintained with professional organizations focusing on the development of new strategies by the social partners that respond to the process of regional integration.

260.15. The objective in this programme area is the strengthened capacity of Ministries of Labour to develop new approaches to their role and responsibilities in a changing environment. By the end of the biennium, it is expected that modifications in the functions of most Labour Ministries will have been proposed and agreed upon by the tripartite constituents and other social and economic actors with a view to their effective implementation and application.

260.16. The assistance provided by the ILO in this respect will include the development of appropriate methodologies and instruments for the monitoring of tripartite dialogue, as well as the introduction of technical issues and topics into collective bargaining processes at the national, sectoral and local levels. Emphasis will also be placed on the harmonization of social legislation within the various regional groupings, particularly on issues such as minimum wages, social protection and active employment policies. In collaborative activities with the Organization of American States (OAS), technical inputs will be provided to the economic integration and labour issues working group and the working groups on social dialogue and collective bargaining, with the aim of promoting mechanisms for effective social dialogue in the context of the process of integration in the Americas.

Expansion of productive employment and the reduction of unemployment

260.17. The stability in unemployment indicators in the region shows that no real progress has been made in the absorption of the unemployment. ILO assistance will therefore be needed to assist in the design and implementation of labour policies and measures that contribute to the creation of employment, particularly as a follow up to the Social Summit, the Miami Summit on the establishment of a Free Trade Zone in the Americas and the process of social and economic integration on the continent. The assistance provided in this respect will build on the progress made during the biennium 1996-97, when new areas of intervention were identified, including: employment promotion in the informal sector; employment creation in the urban sector, with special emphasis on investments and the improvement of living and working conditions; enterprise restructuring; policies and measures to relieve the impact of privatization on employment; the improvement of productivity; and vocational training.

Employment policies

260.18. In terms of employment, the countries in the region are experiencing broadly similar problems. Formal wage employment in private enterprises and the public sector accounts for around 45 per cent of the employed urban labour force, while the other 55 per cent work in small enterprises and informal activities. About 7 per cent of the economically active population are in open unemployment. Research conducted in the various countries shows that a considerable proportion of the population is affected by poverty and that inequalities appear to be growing. Wages are lower than their pre-crisis levels, and income from labour is also low in relation to productivity growth. In this context, active employment policies for full, productive, appropriately remunerated and freely chosen employment are a priority at both the national and regional levels, with emphasis being placed on the creation of new good quality jobs, particularly for young persons and women. An essential component of these policies consists of training programmes for new entrants to the labour market and retraining programmes for the displaced and retrenched. An important aspect of employment creation is the adoption of programmes and measures to promote the establishment and growth of private enterprises, particularly by facilitating their access to credit, markets, training and technology in an integrated regional economic environment.

260.19. The objective in this respect is the enhanced capacity of ILO constituents to assess the long-term effects on employment of current economic trends, as a basis for the design and implementation of active employment and training policies that are consistent with labour market requirements and adapted to the needs of enterprises. By the end of the biennium, it is expected that governments in the region will have developed the analytical capacity to design new policies and programmes of action and carry out the necessary reforms. They will also have adopted appropriate social policies to enhance economic growth and employment generation and will have established monitoring mechanisms of the labour market situation.

260.20. A number of means of action, including the development of country objectives through tripartite consultation, the provision of technical advisory services and support for technical cooperation activities, will be used to assess and advise on national employment and labour situations. These activities will provide a better basis for the continued provision of guidance to constituents to assist in the development of an appropriate policy framework. Tripartite social dialogue will be fostered in this context, as well as dialogue at the international level as a means of influencing the policies of the international community. Emphasis in this respect will be placed on adapting social and labour policies to globalization, promoting employment and ensuring a level of labour protection that is consistent with economic and social needs. The assistance provided will include the identification and dissemination of initiatives at the decentralized and local levels for the adoption of innovative forms of employment, working conditions and working time arrangements that are in compliance with basic labour standards.

Informal sector and poverty alleviation

260.21. In view of the rapid growth of the labour force over recent years, the comparative stability of unemployment rates shows that, despite the modest pace of economic growth, new jobs have in fact been generated in the region. However, a significant proportion of these are low-income and low-productivity jobs in the informal sector. National and local authorities need to develop an understanding of the approaches that can be adopted to promote the integration of informal activities and workers into formal sector institutions, including social security systems. Analyses carried out in previous biennia of the causes and the level of poverty, of studies on social exclusion and of poverty monitoring identified the need for country-specific programmes supported by international efforts in order to help eradicate poverty.

260.22. The objectives in this programme area are the strengthened capacity of constituents and government agencies to formulate appropriate policies and to reorient the informal sector towards productive areas; and the improved capacity of governments and the social partners to design and implement national poverty alleviation programmes. Studies will be undertaken on the regulatory framework of the informal sector and will focus on the progressive integration of informal sector workers into the formal sector. New strategies will be developed for the enlargement of the social security system to the informal sector. Assistance will be provided to national authorities for the design and implementation of programmes for the integration of informal sector workers as contributors to the tax and pensions schemes. Training activities will be carried out with local authorities with a view to the integration of urban informal micro-enterprises into the formal sector. Assistance will also be provided to constituents for the formulation or strengthening of national poverty eradication plans, the components of which will include poverty monitoring, education and training for marginalized groups and investment in infrastructure.

Training

260.23. The emergence of open and competitive economies, in which productivity and quality improvements are supported by technological innovations, is reflected in the deep-rooted transformations in the training environment in the region. Increased competitive demands in a context of greater economic integration have created pressure to upgrade and renew the skills of the labour force. In response to the new situation, many of the countries in the region have undertaken substantial reforms in their systems for the training and development of human resources, with a trend emerging for the creation of national training systems in which both the State and the private sector play leading roles. The result has been the demise of the quasi-State monopoly of vocational training, in favour of training imparted by enterprises, private organizations, NGOs and other public bodies. Decentralized and multi-agency vocational training networks are replacing centralized schemes. Despite their long-standing tradition of participation in decision-making bodies in the field of vocational training, employers’ and workers’ organizations, alongside the governments in the region, therefore need to develop new and more effective and dynamic forms of participation in training systems.

260.24. The objective in this programme area is the improved capacity of the actors involved to contribute to the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, equity and sustainability of the national training effort. With the support of the Inter-American Research and Documentation Centre on Vocational Training (CINTERFOR), assistance will be provided for the design of policies and strategies and the preparation of innovative training programmes that reinforce the organization and functioning of national training systems. Assistance will also be designed to promote the development of major national vocational training institutions and enhance the capacities of Ministries of Labour and employers and workers’ organizations in Latin American and the Caribbean. Vocational training programmes will be organized on “total quality management” and other related internationally accepted standards, such as ISO 9000, as well as on the funding of vocational training systems. CINTERFOR will also participate directly in the execution of regional and subregional programmes for target groups, such as women and youth, the strengthening of databases on training and the development of networks of national vocational training centres.

Monitoring labour market information

260.25. A thorough diagnosis of the employment and labour market situation, and the identification of the relevant constraints and challenges, helps countries develop effective means of action to combat unemployment. A sound system of labour market information (LMI) is therefore needed by member States and the social partners so that they can monitor the performance of the labour market at all the stages of its development. An information network was created during the biennium 1996-97 with the assistance of the social partners, national institutions and bureaux of statistics throughout the region. Periodic information on labour market variables reflecting the situation in each country as regards growth, employment and labour standards was provided to member States through the “labour index”. These activities were instrumental in developing and maintaining a close dialogue with the social partners and enterprises.

260.26. This examination of the overall labour performance of each country contributed to the identification of criteria for the development of a “labour label”, indicating the quality of the national labour market performance. The “labour label” will be based on the progress achieved in fields such as economic growth, employment productivity and the application of labour standards. The capacity to generate comparable information on these factors will contribute greatly to international understanding and support for the common pursuit of the goal of full employment. Combined with the “country risk” evaluations made by the financial institutions, the establishment of a “labour label” should encourage international support for countries that improve their labour and social performance, while ensuring sustainable economic growth.

260.27. The objective in this respect is the improved access of constituents and other agents to comparable information on labour and social progress in the member States in the region. Activities in this field will focus on the further development of instruments to monitor the labour market situation and prospects in the region. Periodic reports and bulletins will be produced and disseminated, as well as the Labour overview, the ILO’s annual report on the labour market situation in the region. Subregional and national workshops will be organized with a view to the preparation of the “labour label”. Technical advisory services will also be provided to regional institutions working in the field of labour market information. The labour index will continue to be produced in consultation with the constituents and will be the main input for the development, at the request of governments, of the “labour label”. As a result of these activities, the ILO’s position on the labour situation will be well-known in the region and its role as “social conscience” reinforced in the international system.

Equality of opportunity

260.28. Activities to promote equality for women and men in the world of work will be closely linked to the strategic objectives and recommendations for action set out in the Declaration and Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women. In addition to its standard-setting activities, the Declaration acknowledges the role played by the ILO in tackling the problems of women’s poverty, education and training, women in the economy, women in decision-making, mechanisms to promote the advancement of women and women workers’ rights. Studies carried out in the Americas region during the past biennium highlighted the need to provide social protection to vulnerable groups of women, such as homeworkers, rural women workers, domestic workers, part-time workers and, in broader terms, women who work in precarious and informal activities in general. Constituents, including employers’ and workers’ organizations, therefore need to develop an improved knowledge and understanding of these problems, leading to wider acceptance of the need to develop social protection schemes to cover these excluded groups.

260.29. The objective of ILO activities in this field is therefore an improved understanding by national authorities and the social partners of the basic relationship between gender equity and development, and the enhancement of their capacity to combat gender discrimination effectively in the world of work in accordance with the fundamental ILO Conventions. Information and advice will be provided on how vulnerable groups of women workers can be covered by appropriate social protection schemes. By the end of the biennium, it is expected that the tripartite constituents will have established comprehensive national strategies and appropriate legislation to promote the participation of women in socio-economic development, improve their working conditions, promote their representation at the institutional level and enhance their technical and managerial skills.

260.30. Technical advisory services will be provided to the tripartite constituents to assist in the establishment of national strategies for equality and to strengthen their institutional capacity. Training activities will be organized, including the training of trainers, based on the ILO’s policy statement “More and Better Jobs for Women” and its multimedia training package on gender, poverty and employment. Pilot projects will also be implemented to combat women’s social exclusion and poverty in selected sectors, particularly through micro-enterprise development programmes. Technical assistance will be provided to support the organization of unorganized women workers and to strengthen national and supra-national networks representing women workers that are already active in the region. At the request of member States, assistance will be provided to improve the application of fundamental ILO Conventions, including the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), and the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), as well as other ILO Conventions of particular relevance to women, such as the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156).

Improving working conditions and
social protection

260.31. Changing patterns of work in the region make necessary the monitoring of regulations governing working conditions. Increased global competition does not always encourage improved conditions. The situation requires a sustained effort by ILO constituents to ensure that a low-price comparative advantage is not accepted if it is the result of an erosion of international labour standards and lower working conditions. Member States face major challenges in guaranteeing basic workers’ protection and, at the same time, encouraging improvements beyond minimum standards.

Occupational safety and health

260.32. Regional integration and globalization have an impact on occupational safety and health. Pressure to achieve increased competitiveness makes it important to cut costs, often with a consequent decline in working conditions. However, experience shows that bad working conditions are not conducive to productivity improvements. Moreover, pressure is mounting at the international level for occupational safety and health standards be observed in the manufacture of tradable goods. There is therefore a pressing need for increased awareness by governments and the social partners of the relationship between equitable working conditions and productivity.

260.33. The objective in this programme area is an improved understanding by governments and employers’ and workers’ representatives of the relationship between better working conditions and improved productivity. Guidance will continue to be provided on the improvement of both productivity and working conditions through the application of methodologies such as Work Improvements in Small Enterprises (WISE). Training activities will also be designed for employers’ and workers’ organizations on the achievement of a better organization of work in enterprises. Emphasis will be placed on the dissemination of up-to-date information on occupational safety and health to governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations and enterprises through such media as CD-ROM and Internet. The results of the 14th World Congress on Occupational Safety and Health (Madrid, 1996) will provide additional guidelines for ILO action in the region, culminating in the organization of the next Congress in Brazil in 1999, which will be the first hosted by a Latin American country. A further area in which assistance will be provided will be to review proposed changes in systems of risk insurance at the workplace, particularly in high-risk sectors such as construction and mining.

Social protection

260.34. Many governments have been evaluating and reforming their social security systems, particularly in the light of the requirements of structural adjustment policies. The restructuring of social security schemes has gone through a number of stages. The pension system reforms implemented in most of the countries in the region have involved a change from a collective system to one based on private savings, with the emergence of dual systems combining collective and private components.

260.35. The objective in this programme area is an improved knowledge and understanding by policy-makers and the managers of social security schemes of the available options in the field of social protection with a view to the adaptation of social security systems to the economic and social requirements of each country. Assessments will be carried out of existing systems and, where possible, alternatives will be proposed at the request of governments. Based on the experience of reforms acquired in some countries of the region, studies will be made into the possibilities for their application in other countries. Actuarial models will be revised and training will be organized for the staff of the schemes concerned. In support of these activities, studies will be undertaken on important issues affecting the social protection system, such as the situation of older workers.

260.36. In view of the large number of workers involved, social protection in the informal sector is a very important issue in the region. In the activities undertaken in this programme area, a strategy will therefore be adopted that takes into account both the formal and informal sectors. Guidance will be provided to constituents on approaches that can be adopted for the protection of informal sector workers. The assistance provided for the extension of social protection schemes to the informal sector will be closely related to activities to promote the integration of informal sector enterprises into the formal sector.

Child labour

260.37. It is estimated that between 30 and 40 million children are involved in various types of work in this region. Another very significant figure is the rate of school drop-outs, which stands at 48 per cent. The extent of the phenomenon in Latin America is undoubtedly related to the overall increase in poverty over recent years. The situation is all the more alarming since, not only are child workers deprived of their youth and in many cases exposed to dangerous conditions at work, but they also lack the opportunity to obtain an appropriate education at school. This implies that, as adults, their qualifications will not match the requirements of the labour market and that they will largely be condemned to remaining below the poverty line. There is therefore an obvious need to eliminate child labour and in particular to prevent children from ending up in situations of danger and/or slavery. In response to this need, combined with the growing concern for the social dimension of globalization and the progress of economic integration processes, the ILO has embarked on a worldwide programme to progressively eliminate child labour (IPEC). It should be noted in this respect that IPEC is becoming increasingly integrated into the multidisciplinary advisory teams and that many country objectives include the eradication of child labour among their priorities.

260.38. The two main objectives of IPEC in the region are: the strengthening of the institutions involved in the formulation and implementation of national action programmes for the eradication of child labour; and the establishment of a regional information network on issues and statistics related to child labour. At the end of the biennium, it is expected that, in addition to the ones already established, national coordinating committees will have been set up in a large number of South American and Central American countries with responsibility for the formulation of national action programmes in cooperation with the appointed national IPEC coordinators. Major projects will be carried out in both subregions in high risk sectors, such as mining, construction and child prostitution. Emphasis will also be placed on promoting the ratification of the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and the harmonization of systems of labour inspection.

260.39. A distinction will be made between two groups of countries in the region. Action programmes in the first group of countries, to which the highest priority is attached, will focus on: social mobilization, through activities to raise the awareness of officials in employers and workers’ organizations, civil servants, teachers and the media; technical assistance, mainly in the fields of labour inspection, legislation, data collection (household surveys) and the formulation of national plans; and direct interventions in education programmes and high risk sectors. No national committees will be established in the second group of countries, either because they would not be justified by the scope of the problem, or because other factors impede more direct involvement by IPEC in the country. Activities in these countries will concentrate on the provision of technical assistance in the areas mentioned above. National seminars will be organized on child labour and research projects will be carried out. Regional seminars will also be held on topics such as labour inspection and statistics as they relate to child labour. An annual report will also be prepared on the child labour situation in the region. A regional information database on child labour will be integrated into the ILO’s regional labour market information system. A number of these activities will be carried out in collaboration with other agencies and it is expected that a good number of governments in the region will make direct financial commitments to programmes and measures in the field of child labour.

Support from headquarters

260.40. The work of the regional major programme will require support from the technical major programmes at headquarters in many areas. For example, information will be needed on the activities that employers’ and workers’ oganizations have undertaken in other regions for the reinsertion of workers in enterprises that have been privatized with successful experiences on collective bargaining and social tripartite dialogue. Technical support will also be required on reconversion and training programmes for youth and women. Major programme 60 (Employment and training) will be requested to support follow-up activities to employment policy reviews and technical cooperation programmes for the design and implementation of active employment policies. Technical advice and support will also be on issues related to the protection of temporary migrants and illegal workers. In the field of environment and the world of work, assistance will be sought from headquarters for the integration into national safety and health plans of methods and practices to improve working conditions and environment at the workplace, including the work improvements in small enterprises (WISE) methodology. Technical assistance for the revision of labour legislation and the promotion of international labour standards, as well as in the field of indigenous peoples’ rights, will be requested from major programme 50 (International labour standards and human rights). Assistance with wage reforms productivity improvements will be sought from major programme 65 (Enterprise and cooperative development), while expertise to assess and develop the new functions of Labour Ministries will be requested from major programme 80 (Industrial relations and labour administration). Technical assistance will also be provided under major programmes 225 (Employers’ activities) and 230 (Workers’ activities) on issues related to employment, economic growth, productivity and social tripartite dialogue.

Resources

260.41. The regular budget resources for this major programme amount to some $37.8 million. This shows an increase of 1.1 per cent in real terms, which is mainly due to an increase in the RBTC provision. In addition, SPPD, STS and other extra-budgetary resources will be used for activities designed in close consultation with donors and the constituents. Efforts will be made to obtain supplementary resources through new trust fund agreements for technical cooperation programmes and projects. The activities of the major programme will be carried out through the Regional Office, a network of area offices in San José, Port-of-Spain, Buenos Aires, Brasilia and Mexico, the Andean Unit, four multidisciplinary advisory teams and CINTERFOR in Montevideo.

260.1. Regional management

260.42. Provision is made under this programme for the management and coordination of the activities of the major programme, the Assistant Director-General in charge of activities in the region, secretarial support and travel costs.

260.2. Regional technical
programmes

260.43. Provision is made under this programme for the four multidisciplinary advisory teams responsible for the following subregions: the Andean countries, the Caribbean, Central America and the southern Cone countries.

Caribbean Multidisciplinary Advisory Team

260.44. This team is located in Port-of-Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) and covers the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. The team may be called upon to provide services to other countries or territories. The team will be composed of seven technical advisers and will provide technical advisory services to the tripartite constituents on policy and technical issues within the ILO’s core mandate. It will also work closely with the Port-of-Spain Office in the preparation and updating of country objectives and the implementation of ILO programmes.

Southern Americas Multidisciplinary
Advisory Team

260.45. The team is located in Santiago (Chile) and covers Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. It provides technical support and guidance for ILO activities at the national and subregional levels, in close consultation with governments, employers and workers’ organizations. The team also fulfils the functions of area office for its host country (Chile). In exercising its responsibilities, the team, which is composed of nine technical advisers, will work closely with the ILO offices in Buenos Aires and Brasilia and the Andean Unit in Lima. Under the overall responsibility of the Regional Director, the work of the team will also include the maintenance of relations with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Latin American Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES) and the regional offices of UNESCO and FAO.

Central American Multidisciplinary
Advisory Team

260.46. The team is located in San José (Costa Rica) and covers Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. The work of the team, which is composed of nine technical advisers, including the director, will consist principally of providing technical advisory services to tripartite constituents on policy and technical issues within the ILO’s core mandate. These activities will be carried out within the framework of the ILO’s programme of assistance to Central American countries, and will be coordinated by the Regional Office for the Americas. The team will collaborate in this work with the ILO offices in San José and Mexico.

Andean Multidisciplinary Advisory Team

260.47. The team is located in Lima (Peru) and covers Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. It may be called upon to provide services to other countries or territories. The work of the team, which is composed of ten technical advisers, will consist of the provision of technical advisory services to the ILO’s tripartite constituents in these countries. Under the overall responsibility of the Regional Director, the work of the team will include the development of relations with the Andean Economic Union, based in Lima.

CINTERFOR

260.48. The Inter-American Research and Documentation Centre on Vocational Training (CINTERFOR) in Montevideo will continue to exchange information within the established network of vocational training institutions, with particular emphasis on young persons, women and workers affected by technological changes at the enterprise level. It will promote and develop training policies, particularly with training institutes that are members of the Centre. Support services will also be provided to the four multidisciplinary advisory teams with a view to the formulation of vocational training programmes that are adapted to the changing needs of the region.

260.3. Relations, service and
support

260.49. Provision is made for the post of Deputy Regional Director, whose responsibility includes the overall coordination of programmes and assistance to the Assistant Director-General. The Regional Programming Unit will be responsible for regional programming and evaluation functions. Programme follow-up and evaluation will be assured at the regional and area office levels through the ILO monitoring, evaluation and reporting system (MERS). The Andean Unit will continue to be responsible for the planning and management of ILO activities in the Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela). Provision is made for a special adviser on social and economic integration, who will provide technical support to strengthen the social dimension of the regional integration process, for a public information and communications officer and for a local post of computer systems specialist. The functions of this programme include financial and administrative services and logistical support to the regional structure for the effective implementation of ILO policy, programmes and activities. They also include the provision of all the necessary personnel, financial and administrative support, including decentralized financial operations. The programme will also be responsible for maintaining relations with international and regional organizations.

260.4. Network of offices
in Latin America and
the Caribbean

260.50. Provision is made under this programme for ILO offices in Buenos Aires, Brasilia, Mexico, Port-of-Spain and San José. In comparison with the 1996-97 budget, the regular budget resources for these offices are reduced in real terms by some $148,000. This reduction results mainly from economies in administrative costs.

260.5. The Washington Branch
Office

260.51. The Washington Branch Office will continue to maintain and develop relations with agencies and organizations that deal with social and labour issues in the United States. These include government agencies and employers’ and workers’ organizations, as well as regional, bilateral and multilateral organizations; research, human and civil rights organizations; academic circles and others interested in the basic charter of the ILO. The Office will gather and disseminate information on labour issues and provide essential services to support ILO technical cooperation activities, such as the recruitment of experts, the acquisition of equipment and the placement of fellows in the United States.

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