The Ministers of Labor of the Member Countries of the Simón Rodríguez Convention on Social and Labor Integration, meeting in Cartagena de Indias on May 20, 21 and 22, 1999 for the purpose of making an assessment of the present state of Andean Community integration in the social and labor areas and of proposing mechanisms for its reactivation,

DECLARE:
 

1. Our deliberations have been based primarily on the decisions adopted by the successive Andean Presidential Summits (Quito, September 1995; Trujillo, March 1996; Sucre, April 1997; Guayaquil, April 1998) and especially on those related to the deepening and consolidation of a common market that presupposes the free circulation of the factors of production; the orientations and purposes of the Andean Integration System that point to the importance of reinforcing the social conventions and the social and labor dimensions of the integration process; as well as the Simón Rodríguez Convention on Social and Labor Integration.

2. In the context of economic globalization, the transformation of the production system is essential if poverty is to be surmounted and more equitable conditions are to be achieved. Economic growth is necessary, but not sufficient of itself, to overcome the problem of poverty. It is equally as important for growth to increasingly enhance the competitive capacity in national and international markets, to be capable of generating productive employment, and to contribute to the distribution of the benefits of development among the different socioeconomic levels. The transformation of the production system must be systemic, for it requires the simultaneous adoption of a series of measures in the companies and in their environment. The lack of any one of the elements of the system (productivity, infrastructure or education) will affect the others, thereby creating problems for international competitiveness. Productive transformation will not be sustainable over time until social cohesion exists and the latter, in turn, depends upon the existence of more equity.

3. The social purpose of integration is to seek a lasting improvement in the living and working conditions of the inhabitants of the subregion, through the adoption of national policies that promote sustained economic growth, environmental orientations and policies aiming at sustainable development, and the promotion of productive employment with social peace. In this context, it is the responsibility of the Ministries of Labor of the member countries of the Simón Rodríguez Convention to prompt the design and preparation of the instruments that will make it possible to guarantee respect for the rights of workers in the subregion and to promote the equitable transformation of the productive system and the creation of jobs.

4. In the field of labor relations, subregional integration should consider the possibility of effectively implementing the ILO Declaration on the Basic Workplace Principles and Rights and their Follow-up, adopted at the 86th meeting of the International Labor Conference, as the most appropriate means of fulfilling the dual function of promoting the deepening, strengthening and consolidation of democracy in our nations, and of moving ahead with the harmonization of the principles on which our labor legislations are founded.

5. We reaffirm the principles contained in the Declaration of Cartagena de Indias on the Erradication of Child Labor, made by the First Tripartite Latin American Meeting at the Ministerial Level on the Erradication of Child Labor, held in Cartagena on May 8 and 9, 1997, and commit ourselves to take the necessary steps for their fulfillment.

6. Creating jobs, as the Heads of State and of Government pointed out at the Copenhagen World Summit on Social Development in March 1995, is an effective means of fighting poverty and of promoting social integration. The achievement of full employment calls for the State, the social spokesmen, and all other elements of civil society, at all levels, to cooperate in creating the conditions that will allow everyone to participate in productive labor and to benefit from it.

7. The movement of the world economy toward globalization and the noteworthy growth of science and technology in recent years constitute a compulsory frame of reference for understanding the new international relations and the best way of putting them to use in benefit of economic and social development. Within this context, the countries' corporate and economic competitiveness becomes an essential element for a successful international positioning that will stimulate the progress of each country. A high level of productivity commensurate with international standards must be attained if competitive industrialization is to exist. Productivity, for its part, depends today, more than ever, on undertaking technological development and the education and training and retraining of suitable persons, in the innovation, adaptation, creative use, implementation, and management of new technologies, as priority tasks of an integration process.

8. Migratory movements, typical of the effects of globalization and the interdependence among countries, transcend the sphere of national politics to become an item on the agenda of countries that share common economic, historical, and geographic interests. This is the case of the member countries of the Simón Rodríguez Convention, which show evidence of the existence of a great potential in both natural wealth and human resources. These must be oriented and protected in accordance with the particular conditions that exist in each country, for the migratory and integration processes are closely tied in with the different spheres of labor, among them particularly the respect for the basic rights of workers.

9. Social security in the subregion and its dual economic and social function should promote the attainment of sufficient domestic and individual savings to guarantee the existence of an adequate quality of life during old age, invalidity and survival. It should contribute to the growth of equity through its solidarity with those who are not able to save for their old age. The subregional countries should take care to adopt the necessary measures for broadening the coverage of social security systems to take in the entire economically active population and those who are less favored. In order to deepen and to consolidate the common market, it will be necessary to create appropriate instruments that will guarantee that the subregion's migrant workers receive old age, invalidity, and survival benefits.

10. Workplace safety and health are a necessary instrument for bettering living and working conditions. Work accidents and occupational diseases also have a negative impact on national and international competitiveness. The cost of taking preventive measures for those conditions is high, but higher still is the cost of caring for and compensating the injured. The Labor Ministries should promote the creation of a culture of prevention that would bear in mind the various types and levels of risk, the different economic sectors, and the many economic activities involved. Given the existence of globalization, it is essential to address the issues of standardization in the product and in the workplace.

11. Social dialogue, agreement on concerted action and tripartite efforts are all instruments that help to consolidate democracy in our countries and to create a new culture of labor relations. The social actors, and particularly the Andean Business and Labor Advisory Councils, should take part in the actions indicated in this Declaration and in the measures that are proposed based on it.

12. The policies and programs that are drawn up to promote a new labor relations culture should bear in mind the principle of equal opportunities and of equal treatment for men and women. It is essential that women participate on equal terms if the principal development objectives are to be attained.

13. Inspections, preventive surveillance and control tasks are essential elements for guaranteeing the fulfillment of basic workplace principles and rights, including aspects related to social security, workplace health and safety and child labor, among others. It is the responsibility of the Ministries of Labor to design systems of inspection and alternative dispute settlement mechanisms that are appropriate to the new demands of the working world in a context of globalization.

14. The Simón Rodríguez Convention on Social and Labor Integration should be converted into a suitable instrument for boosting the social and labor dimensions of the Andean Community integration effort and serving as a basis for preparing and designing strategies and plans of action that will contribute to the improvement of the working and living conditions of the subregion's inhabitants. To this end, we deem it essential to update that instrument so that it may be used as a tool to promote the participation of the social actors and to allow for the transformation of the production system with justice and equity.

15. In view of the importance we attach to the issues presented in this Declaration, we are annexing a Plan of Action, for whose execution the Ministries of Labor shall be responsible. The methodology to be used in addressing the different labor issues involved in the integration process shall be defined and developed by setting up Working Groups. Under a country coordinator, they shall each submit their reports and recommendations to the next meeting of Ministers of Labor of the Member Countries of the Simón Rodríguez Convention, to be held in Lima during the first quarter of 2000.