PANAMA CITY (ILO News) – The 19th American Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has ended with the commitment of governments, workers and employers to build a better future of work in the Americas through social dialogue.

The Panama Declaration for the ILO Centenary: For the Future of Work in the Americas  states that collective efforts and democratic governance – currently at risk in several countries in the continent – are essential if a future with decent work and social justice in the region is to be achieved.

“At a time of great volatility and uncertainty in this region and also in the world, over four days we proved that the tripartite constituents of the Americas are capable of sitting down, addressing issues of great complexity and finding consensus. This is not a simple task and it should not be underestimated. This is social dialogue in action,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder during his closing speech.

According to the Panama Declaration, experience over recent years has shown that in the absence of sustained growth, social progress can stall or even be reversed.

The Declaration therefore establishes a series of priorities for the ILO and countries in the Americas for the coming years productive development, development of sustainable enterprises, the respect for and implementation of fundamental rights at work, the transition from the informal to the formal economy, youth employment, labour migration and gender equality, among others.

More than 500 representatives of governments, employers’ organizations and trade unions from 31 countries participated in the 19th American Regional Meeting, which took place just months before the start of the ILO Centenary year.

ILO regional meetings are held every four years and are a space in which participants analyse the evolution of labour markets, the employment policies that are applied in different countries, social dialogue and the application of international labour standards, among other topics.

For more information, please contact [email protected]  or Luis Cordova: [email protected] .