ECOSOC 9TH JULY 2007

Coordination Segment


PANEL DISCUSSION
“The role of the UN system in promoting employment and decent work agenda in national strategic frameworks: the case of Latin America”


Chair: HE. Mr. Hilario G. Davide, Jr. (Philippines),
Vice President of the Council

Panelists:
UN Regional Directors Team from Latin America and the Caribbean:
Ø Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, UNDP Regional Director
Ø Mr. Nils Kastberg, UNICEF Regional Director
Ø Ms. Marcela Suazo, UNFPA Regional Director,
Ø Mr. Philippe Egger, Deputy Director Office of the Director General, ILO


Statement by Ms. Grynspan:
The PNUD and the ILO have signed an agreement to elaborate a plan of action for Latin America for employment and decent work.
In the last four years, the rate of unemployment has reduced.
The rate of growth has increased of 4% in Latin America. But, unemployment stay high and particularly for women and youth people.
One youth on four don’t go at school or have no job.
The priorities should be youth employment, gender equality and democratic governance.
The PNUD and the ILO are agreeing to say that growth and employment are tied. Thus, they have determined a group of pilot countries in Latin America to start a project for the promotion of employment.


Statement by Ms. Suazo:
The UN system leads a lot of efforts to increase its coordination.
It is necessary to include the questions of demographic process, migration flow and inequalities between men and women.
The Latin America and Caribbean region is characterized by the growth of active population. That constitutes a national challenge to promote education and health.
Migration concerns 4% of the population in Latin America (around 20 millions of people); this phenomenon is particularly striking for women who search a job.
Concerning the inequality between men and women at work, this is a difficulty which concerns the type of work but also the remuneration of this work. In fact, women are remunerated around 25-30% under than men for the same work and for the same qualifications.
Moreover, projects are driven in the region to promote youth employment.


Statement by Mr. Egger:
Indeed, there is an economic growth in Latin America, but also a failure in microeconomic level because of the mistrust in politic leaders.
So, the growth doesn’t play its social role, particularly for integration.
Thus, some projects have driven in Latin America and Caribbean for decent work, but also to promote social dialogue.
Priorities should be the fight against child labour and the promotion of equality of genders.
Around 50% of works stays in the informal sector; those jobs are also characterized by low productivity and a low or no social protection.
Thus, we need sectoral policies, at regional level and concerning rural and agricultural worlds to emphasized productive activities on the base on investment, infrastructures or networks.
Concerning youth employment, it is necessary to promote primary education, professional formation and decent work.
But, the UN system has also to introduce a mechanism of evaluation for those policies.


Statement by Mr. Kastberg:
A lot of programs have driven by UNICEF in Latin America and Caribbean region, particularly in the fight against child labour and decent work.
Cooperation is essential between UN system for Latin America and Caribbean.

SUBSTANTIVE SESSION
Informal consultations on the draft resolutions under the coordination segment

The chair of the consultation meeting started by reminding the participants that the draft resolution had been already discussed and agreed upon in New York and hoped that it would therefore be approved by all. Nonetheless, although they agreed that most of the negotiations work had been accomplished in New York, Portugal, on behalf of the European Union, and Pakistan, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, wished to bring some amendments on several paragraph. They reached agreement on operating paragraphs one, two, four, six, seven and eight and reserved the rest of the text, with the respective added amendments, to be discussed within their own group before endorsing them.