LIMA (ILO News) - Warning of a prevailing feeling of "social insecurity" in Latin America as the century drew to a close, Mr Juan Somavia, the Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO), called for the benefits of economic development to be translated into just and equitable social progress, and said that it was not possible to go on regarding social issues as something separate from economic issues.

In his address this morning at the opening ceremony of the ILO's Regional Meeting, which is being attended by senior representatives of governments and of employers' and workers' organizations in the region, the Director-General called on governments and the social actors to make progress towards the introduction of minimum social standards for the continent and to promote the democratic practice of consultation in order to ensure that economic progress would be accompanied by social progress for all. He said that many working men and women were wondering when the successes that had been achieved in terms of economic stability and growth would be reflected in improvements in the quality of their own lives, and many companies were wondering about their own prospects in a climate of unchecked globalization.

The Director-General emphasized the need to promote economic efficiency and social efficiency in parallel, and warned that social policies must have a solid economic basis in order to be sustainable. It was clear, he said, that the creation of viable businesses was the basis for generating quality employment.

Speaking of the employment situation in the region, Mr Somavia said that informal, precarious and non-registered employment had grown more rapidly than modern and high-quality employment, while levels of protection had not improved. This made it essential to put in place employment and social protection policies that were convergent, rather than independent of one another.

The programme of activities for the four-day meeting includes discussions on a number of problems of concern to the ILO: unemployment, labour relations, protection of workers and child labour. These topics will be discussed with a view to establishing a "Regional Agenda" aimed at promoting and implementing the fundamental principles and rights at work, creating better opportunities for job-creation and strengthening social dialogue in the region. In Mr. Somavia's words on a previous occasion, "There is no influential social dialogue without strong employers' and workers' organizations; there is no effective tripartism without strong labour ministries and modern labour administrations."

The Director-General warned that there would be little point in promoting labour agreements if steps were not also taken to promote trade union membership among workers, if workers were prevented from organizing, or if union leaders suffered harassment. Collective bargaining needed to be regarded not as an obstacle to the proper functioning of the labour market and labour relations but as an important instrument for designing and implementing strategies that would be more capable of increasing employment, production and productivity, and distributing the associated benefits fairly.

Finally, the Director-General called for greater commitment to the fight against child labour. He called on governments to ratify the ILO Convention on the worst forms of child labour, which was adopted at the International Labour Conference in June 1999, as a matter of urgency. Child labour forced us to ask about the moral quality of our societies, and it was to be hoped that powerful voices would be heard from Latin America to promote the elimination of its worst forms.

Mr. Ricardo Márquez Flores, First Vice-President of Peru, said in his opening address that economic progress had not resulted in a significant improvement in the employment situation and income of Peruvian workers and the problem of employment was now one of the main issues on the Government's agenda. He said that under conditions of economic recession, the Peruvian Government was confronting the problem of employment realistically and in a way consistent with the objectives of achieving economic growth and combatting poverty. He emphasized the need to maintain macroeconomic stability to overcome the recession and achieve real progress which would strengthen national development and guarantee the vital creation of jobs.

The meeting is due to end on Friday, 27 August, with a presentation of its conclusions. It is hoped that these will include recommendations which will give an impetus to social progress in the region.