LABOR, INTEGRATION & INTERNATIONAL TRADE: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS & TENDENCES IALMC-OAS WORKSHOP Pablo Lazo Labor and Civil Society Affairs Coordinator International Economic Relations Bureau Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Chile May11th, 2004
TRADE AND LABOR: MULTILATERAL DEVELOPPMENT Copenhagen World Summet on Social Developpment, 1995 WTO: Singapore Declaration, 1996 ILO: Declaration on principles and rights at work and its follow-up, 1998 OECD: Guidelines for multinationals
UNIVERSAL CONSENSUS Core labor standards ILO: competent body Labor standards should not be used with protectionist purposes It should not be questioned the comparative advantage of any country on the base of these instruments
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES Freedom of association and the right to form unions and bargain collectively Ban of forced labor Limitations of child labor Non discrimination
LABOR STANDARDS IN THE INTERNATIONAL FRAME GSP & OTHER UNILATERAL MECHANISMS NAALC MERCOSUR ALC CANADA-COSTA- RICA US-JORDAN ILO OECD OAS
FTAs. Vs. Integration processes: tendences NAALC CANADA-CHILE CANADA-COSTA-RICA US-JORDAN CHILE- US CAFTA-US MERCOSUR ANC CARICOM CASI
PROVISIONS Labor standards included Separate agreements/labor clauses Monetary contributions Cooperation Social actors participation Transparency
DEVELOPPING PROCESSES CAFTA-DR-US discussion for Congress approval Negotiations US-Panama Negotiations US/Peru, Ecuador, Colombia Negotiations US/Bolivia? FTAA Process
Why to incorporate labor standards in an FTA? Vision of Chile Request of unions and civil society Linkage between trade & labor: a reality(Freeman Study Harvard University) To avoid or diminish unilateralism (GSP & others) Political realism Principle with Chilean political consensus
SKILLS Capacity building: joint efforts/Integral policies/ S. dialogue Labor inspection/Labor Justice Education, permanent professional training Danger of exclusion Social protection Adapting labor markets: informal sector