OEA - CP- Resolución XIX VI 1 CIMT 22 GT1 GT2 7

INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT

MEETING OF WORKING GROUPS 1 AND 2 OEA/Ser.L/XIX.VI.1

OF THE TWENTY-SECOND INTER-AMERICAN CIMT-22/GT1-GT2/doc.7/26

CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF LABOR 7 May 2026

May 11 to 13, 2026 Original: Spanish Asunción, Paraguay

REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN NETWORK FOR LABOR ADMINISTRATION (RIAL)

FOR THE PERIOD 2006 TO MAY 20261

REPORT OF THE

INTER-AMERICAN NETWORK FOR LABOR ADMINISTRATION (RIAL)

FOR THE PERIOD 2006 TO MAY 2026

CONTENTS

I. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………… 1

II. Outputs – RIAL in numbers and products ………………………………………… 2

III. Outcomes – RIAL’s Impact and concrete results………………………………. 3

IV. Activities…………………………………………………………………………………………… 14

V. Lessons learned ………………………………………………………………………………… 26

VI. Note on Funding………………………………………………………………………………… 28

APPENDICES Appendix 1: Summary of the Hemispheric Workshops…………………………… 30 Appendix 2: List of activities of the RIAL Cooperation Fund………………… 38

I. INTRODUCTION

The Inter -American Network for Labor Administration (RIAL) is the cooperation and technical assistance mechanism of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML). It was created by the region’s Ministries of Labor, following the XV IACML in 2 005, in order to strengthen their human and institutional capacities through an integrating mechanism for dissemination of knowledge and experiences.

The RIAL functions as a system made up of the following complementary and mutually reinforcing tools: Portfolio of Programs, Hemispheric Workshops, technical studies, bilateral cooperation

human and institutional capacities through an integrating mechanism for dissemination of knowledge and experiences.

The RIAL functions as a system made up of the following complementary and mutually reinforcing tools: Portfolio of Programs, Hemispheric Workshops, technical studies, bilateral cooperation activities, newsletters, web pages and, virtual forums and webinars.

The OAS Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) is responsible for the coordination and operation of the RIAL, in its capacity as the Technical Secretariat of the IACML, while its priorities and actions are set by the IACML itself. It is now funded through a Fund for voluntary contributions from all its members. In the period 2006-2010, it was funded primarily by the Canadian Labour Program, whose contributions made it possible to establish the Fund and to carry out most of the activities desc ribed in this document. It has also received financial contributions from the Ministries of Labor of Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States, to this date.2

II. OUTPUTS – RIAL in numbers and products

From its formal creation in May 2006 thru May 2026, the following are RIAL’s main accomplishments in number of people, organizations involved, and products delivered.

RIAL in numbers:

• 2331 government officials have been trained on priority labor adm inistration issues through hemispheric workshops and bilateral cooperation activities. • 2062 officials from Ministries of Labor have been trained on priority labor administration issues through hemispheric workshops and bilateral cooperation activities. • +5800 public officials have been indirectly trained. • 187 workers’ and employers’ representatives have been trained. • 18 international agencies (ILO, IDB, PAHO, OECD, WAPES, IACHR, CARICOM, IDB, etc.) are involved with the RIAL.

• +5800 public officials have been indirectly trained. • 187 workers’ and employers’ representatives have been trained. • 18 international agencies (ILO, IDB, PAHO, OECD, WAPES, IACHR, CARICOM, IDB, etc.) are involved with the RIAL. • 31 research centers and NGOs are involved with RIAL activities. • All OAS member states have participated in RIAL activities through their Ministries of Labor.

RIAL products:

• 31 hemispheric exchange workshops completed on priority labor administration topics.

Twenty-two (22) Ministries of Labor were represented in each workshop on average, along with workers, employers, and heads of international organizations. • 143 completed bilateral cooperation activities (on-site visits or experts’ visits) that have allowed for direct technical assistance between Ministries through the RIAL and the development of specific products within each Ministry. Of these 1 43 activities, 29 have been carried out virtually. • 200 updated programs, which are part of the online Portfolio of Programs from the Ministries of Labor and, as such, constitute cooperation offers. • 1 new RIAL website : www.rialnet.org, recently published with improvements implemented directly from suggestions from the Ministries themselves , to make it more interactive and efficient. Currently undergoing modernization and updates to its technological platform. • 7 technical studies and RIAL publications completed: “Gender equality for Decent Work: Proposals for mainstreaming gender into labor and employment policies within the fra mework of the IACML” (2007), “The Institutionalization of a Gender Approach in the Ministries of Labor of the Americas” (2009) , “Advancing the institutionalization of a gender approach in the Ministries of Labor of the Americas. Lessons learned, findings and recommendations from three Participatory Gender Audits” (2013) , “Analysis of Bilateral and Multilateral Social Security Agreements as they relate to Pensions” (2015), and “The Coordination between Education and

Ministries of Labor of the Americas. Lessons learned, findings and recommendations from three Participatory Gender Audits” (2013) , “Analysis of Bilateral and Multilateral Social Security Agreements as they relate to Pensions” (2015), and “The Coordination between Education and Labor in the Americas: Results of the Inter -Sectoral Workshop on Youth Employment” (2017) , “The Institutionalization of a Gender Approach in the Ministries of Labor of the Americas: Balance of a Decade” (2021), and “The World of Work in the Americas: Reflections and Recommendations on the Region’s Top Priorities” (2024). • More than 300 newsletters published every two weeks about RIAL’s activities, relevant events for the IACML, and any new and interesting information regarding the world of work. • Creation of the RIAL/GENDER as the first specialized network of the RIAL, and holding of 9 virtual Dialogues, to strengthen the institutionalization of gender in the Ministries of Labor. An3

average of 27 Ministries have participated in each of the Dialogues, as well as representatives of workers, employers, and international organizations. • 6 web seminars, four of them organized with PAHO, and ILO’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean about health in the workplace and youth employment , another one about Labor Inspections in Trinidad and Tobago, and one developed in 2019 along with the government, workers and employers representatives of Castilla and Leon, Spain, on their internationally recognized experience of Social Dialogue. These webinars allowed for the exchange of successful experiences and contributed to strengthening of labor administration in the region. • 3 Gender Audits in partnership with the ILO, the first of its kind in Ministries of Labor in the region that resulted in diagnoses and action plans to strengthen gender institutionalization in each Ministry.

Additionally, in 2020, the RIAL published two specific products within the framework of the COVID19 pandemic, demonstrating a great capacity for response and adaptation:

region that resulted in diagnoses and action plans to strengthen gender institutionalization in each Ministry.

Additionally, in 2020, the RIAL published two specific products within the framework of the COVID19 pandemic, demonstrating a great capacity for response and adaptation: • Portfolio of Responses from Ministries of Labor to COVID -19, launched on April 1st, 2020, and permanently updated until July 2022 . The Portfolio of Responses reached more than 490 measures taken by Ministries of Labor of all the countries in the region. • Repository of Guidelines and Protocols for Deconfinement and return to work , launched in May 2020 and updated until December 2021, gathered more than 80 resources published by governments (both from OAS Member States and outside the OAS), international organizations, and organizations of workers and employers for a safe and orderly return to work that prioritizes the safety and health of workers.

Between 2022 and 2023, the RIAL launched two new information repositories: • Portfolio of Telework laws and regulations, launched in July 2022 and permanently updated, gathers over 90 instruments implemented by the governments of the region regarding telework. • Repository of Actions on Paid Domestic Work, launched in July 2023, and developed in conjunction with the governments of the Americas, showcases the actions that the Ministries of Labor of the region have implemented to dignify, formalize, and achieve the full exercise of rights in paid domestic work.

III. OUTCOMES – RIAL’s Impact and concrete results Together, the outputs previously outlined, are aimed towards achieving the RIAL’s objective of building human and institutional capacities in the region’s Ministries of Labor. Institution-building is a complex and hard-to-measure concept but, for the purposes of the RIAL, it has been divided into the following components: - Greater knowledge and tools in Ministries for the fulfillment of their functions. - Development of new products, services, or programs. - Creation of areas, offices, or units within Ministries.

the following components: - Greater knowledge and tools in Ministries for the fulfillment of their functions. - Development of new products, services, or programs. - Creation of areas, offices, or units within Ministries. - Review, modification and/or improvement of programs in execution. - Design, modification and/or improvement of internal processes. - Design or improvement of training activities for government officials. - Reform of the regulatory or legislative framework. - Enhanced capacity to identify cooperation priorities and needs. - Greater communication and cooperation between each Ministry and its peers within the region.4

After twenty years of operation, it can be said that the RIAL has had a clear impact on these institution-building components, in some cases with impressive outcomes, as may be seen below. The outcomes were taken from final reports and follow-up surveys of RIAL bilateral cooperation activities, surveys of Hemispheric Workshop participants, and internal OAS records on their ongoing communications with ministries in the region.

RIAL’s Impact: Concrete Results

• Greater knowledge and tools in Ministries of Labor for the fulfillment of their functions

All of RIAL’s outputs are aimed at increasing knowledge within Ministries of Labor and providing them with additional tools to strengthen internal management. This knowledge translates to the development of new products, redefinition of internal processes, and the creation or strengthening of areas or units.

Several RIAL Hemispheric Workshop participants were consulted regarding the contributions that the information they received at our events had on their Ministries in the past. From those consulted, more than 90% considered that the information they received at our Workshops helped them improve their services about the topic discussed at the event , increase awareness about gender issues, and become more efficient in their respective countries.

Additionally, during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, several representatives of Ministries of Labor and organizations of workers and employers stressed that the information gathered in the Portfolio of Responses from Ministries of Labor to COVID -19 and the Repository of Guidelines and Protocols for Deconfinement was valuable when planning and adjusting their own responses.

of Labor and organizations of workers and employers stressed that the information gathered in the Portfolio of Responses from Ministries of Labor to COVID -19 and the Repository of Guidelines and Protocols for Deconfinement was valuable when planning and adjusting their own responses.

• Development of new products, services, or programs

The RIAL facilitates new ideas within ministries for the development of products, services, or programs, whether by consulting the RIAL Portfolio, a source of information on interesting initiatives, or through their participation in Hemispheric Workshops o r in bilateral cooperation activities. From these exchanges a decision may emerge to develop new initiatives or, if this decision has already been made, elements for their implementation may be drawn.

More than 60% of RIAL bilateral cooperation activities documented resulted in the development of new products, services, or programs. Some important examples are:

• The "Instructional Guide for the Virtual Microcourse for adolescents applying for the proof of minimum age for employment" was developed in Guatemala in 2025, incorporating the strengths and main lessons learned from Mexico's PROCADIST experience, a recognized benchmark in distance learning. This microcourse will provide adolescents with the necessary knowledge about their labor rights and responsibilities, thereby promoting informed and protected entry into the labor market.

• The Ministries of Labor and Education of Peru developed the “Methodological Guide for the Recognition of Labor Competency Certifications in Technical -Productive and Higher Technological Education” in 2025, with technical assistance from ChileValora. This G uide is a valuable tool to help people move between formal education and job training without duplicating studies.5

• Trinidad and Tobago developed the “Roadmap for Establishing the Labour Market Information System” in 2025, with a view to bringing the system into operation in the near future, with technical guidance and ongoing feedback from Jamaica.

• The "Manual for the Method to Identify and Assess Psychosocial Factors at Work" was finalized and approved by Costa Rica's Occupational Health Council in 2024, following years of

technical guidance and ongoing feedback from Jamaica.

• The "Manual for the Method to Identify and Assess Psychosocial Factors at Work" was finalized and approved by Costa Rica's Occupational Health Council in 2024, following years of collaborative work and with direct technical assistance from experts at Chile 's Superintendency

of Social Security.

• The “Manual to prevent and eradicate gender-based violence at work”, prepared by the Ministry of Labor of Uruguay and launched in March 2023, has lessons learned and recommendations from the Ministry of Labor of Argentina. This RIAL Cooperation included tr aining actions, as well as detailed review and feedback of the contents of the Manual by experts from the Argentine

Ministry.

• In 2022, the Network of Enterprises against Child Labor was created in Panama, incorporating elements and good practices from Argentina, whose similar Network was created in 2017. The RIAL Bilateral Cooperation allowed for the creation of this Network crystalized, by providing input and guidance to the Ministry of Labor of Panama from Argentina’s Ministry of Labor and members of the Network.

• Preparation of a Manual for the labor inclusion of people with disabilities in Guatemala, with the technical assistance of the Ministry of Labor of Ecuador, recognized for its good practices in this matter. The Manual, aimed at public and private institutions, is a practical tool with guidelines for the recruitment, hiring and inclusion processes of people with disabilitie s.

• Design of the Project to create a Leaders for Social Dialogue Training Program in Peru, retaking the lessons learned of the Trade Union Training Schools (Escuelas de formación sindical) of Chile, and including guidance on training modalities and curricular offer, among others. The Project, developed in 2021 with the participation of social actors and the assistance of Chile, seeks to develop the knowledge and capabilities of social actors as a means to strengthen social dialogue.

• Development and improvement of the program for returned Ecuadorian workers in 2019, as a result of technical assistance from Colombia on services for migrant populations.

develop the knowledge and capabilities of social actors as a means to strengthen social dialogue.

• Development and improvement of the program for returned Ecuadorian workers in 2019, as a result of technical assistance from Colombia on services for migrant populations.

• Design of a Pilot Plan for Implementation of Convention 189 on Domestic Work in Costa Rica in 2019, as a result of technical assistance from Uruguay, first country to ratify such Convention.

• The terms of reference for the establishment of the Disabilities Rights Tribunal in Jamaica in 2016 and 2017, as well as the communication strategy and the complaints procedures to comply with Jamaica’s Disabilities Act of 2014, were drafted including the lessons learned and the procedures in place in the United States. This was possible, after the Director of the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities and other officers in charge of developing such instruments travelled to Washington to learn from the United States vast experience in enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

• Development of electronic declaration for employers in Peru to improve compliance with labor legislation, with lessons learned from Mexico’s experience.

• The first Municipal Child Labor Diagnostic in Guatemala was conducted in 2013 after receiv ing technical assistance from Ecuador on evaluating baselines and diagnostics on child labor, and having been able to learn from first-hand experience how municipal authorities work. The participants highlighted that before the exchange, they did not have enough resources to undertake this work.6

• After the technical assistance received through an on -site visit from the Ministry of Labor of Guatemala, Paraguay designed a training and awareness programs for female domestic workers.

• The Public Employment Service of Panama (SERPE) finalized the installation of an employment unit at each training center of the National Institute of Vocational Training for Human Development (INADEH) to facilitate the hiring of graduates from the training courses that they have created. It also considered the creation of a Youth Employment Office as a result of the exchange of cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security of

Argentina.

Development (INADEH) to facilitate the hiring of graduates from the training courses that they have created. It also considered the creation of a Youth Employment Office as a result of the exchange of cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina.

• The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) of Trinidad and Tobago created a web page after receiving technical assistance from the United States Department of Labor. The web page can be used to distribute information and to maintain a permane nt channel for interaction with the public. The Ministry of Labor of Trinidad and Tobago also developed brochures available in print and online on various topics regarding OSHA, and developed and implemented an awareness program to reach specific audiences throughout the country.

• The Ministry of Labor of Costa Rica made the decision to regionalize the conciliation service

(presence of conciliators in regional offices) following a cooperation activity with Argentina wherein greater awareness was gained of the value of conciliation, and training and hiring processes were reviewed. The Argentine experience also served to improve conciliator training in Costa Rica.

• The recent establishment of the Job Training Center in the Ministry of Labor of El Salvador took account of the success of worker and employer education in the Ministry of Labor of the Dominican Republic, and some of its lessons learned were replicated.

• The Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina is studying the possible implementation of a program similar to the Preventive Mediation Program of Canada, following an on-site visit to Canada.

• El Salvador’s Ministry of Labor launched its Gender Equality Seal after learning about Colombia’s experience with its own Equipares Seal and its mode of implementation. This included learning about the experience of private Colombian companies certified with the seal.

• Based on the Costa Rican experience, Guatemala developed a pilot program for the eradication of child labor in Guatemala City’s main food distribution center.

• Creation of areas, offices, or units within Ministries

To a lesser extent, the RIAL has contributed to creating areas or units within Ministries of Labor.

• Based on the Costa Rican experience, Guatemala developed a pilot program for the eradication of child labor in Guatemala City’s main food distribution center.

• Creation of areas, offices, or units within Ministries

To a lesser extent, the RIAL has contributed to creating areas or units within Ministries of Labor. Around 20% of RIAL bilateral cooperation activities report this as an outcome. These include:

• The consolidation of the Unit for Gender Equality in the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of El Salvador, which reviewed and improved the Ministry’s practices and procedures after an onsite visit from the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina and Colombia in 2012.

• The inclusion of a Medical Unit and Technical Unit in the Occupational Health and Safety Administration of Trinidad and Tobago after a bilateral cooperation with the United States.7

• The creation of the Fundamental Rights Unit in the Ministry of Labor of Bolivia, after collaborating with Chile through the RIAL.

• The drive to increase the number of municipal employment offices run by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Costa Rica through a Framework Agreement with the Municipal Development Institute, signed after a visit to the Ministry of Labor, Employmen t and Social

Security of Argentina.

• The establishment of a committee to develop an Inspection Program to guide the activities of the Department of Labor of Saint Lucia in that field, one of the lessons learned during cooperation with the United States.

• The creation of the Colombian Tripartite Commission on International Affairs after receiving technical and legal assistance from Brazil’s own Tripartite Commission.

The efforts of RIAL since its origins to support the creation and consolidation of gender units in the Ministries, which are currently framed within the RIAL/GENDER created in 2022, are highlighted. It is also worth noting that the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), in collaboration with the RIAL, organized four subregional workshops (Caribbean, Central America, Andean Region, and

Ministries, which are currently framed within the RIAL/GENDER created in 2022, are highlighted. It is also worth noting that the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), in collaboration with the RIAL, organized four subregional workshops (Caribbean, Central America, Andean Region, and Southern Cone) in 2010 to strengthen a gender -based approach in Ministries of Labor, which may include the creation of gender units. Some Ministries (El Salvador and Barbados mainly) have reported that following the workshop, they could advance in constituting a gender unit or focal point. These workshops are based on the achievements and recommendations of the RIAL study on “The Institutionalization of a Gender Approach in the Ministries of Labor of the Americas” and follow -up on the Gender Strategic Guidelines approved by the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor

(IACML) in 2007.

Additionally, the OAS and ILO partnered to develop “Participatory Gender Audits” in the Ministries of Labor of El Salvador, Barbados, and Peru, with financial support from Canada and in keeping with the efforts developed by the IACML and RIAL on gender iss ues. Audits have allowed comprehensive assessment of the situation in each Ministry regarding gender mainstreaming and the development of Plans of Action to strengthen their efforts, in particular units or areas responsible for gender. In the case of El Salvador, the Audit helped launch the Unit for Gender Equality.

• Review, modification, and improvement of programs in execution

A review of RIAL bilateral cooperation activities shows specific results in terms of program improvement, but RIAL’s workshops should also be taken into account in measuring program improvement. In fact, 70% of discussions during these workshops revolve around the outcomes and difficulties of, and lessons learned from, national programs. Additionally, most participants are program technical staff or coordinators. Although no rigorous follow-up to these workshops has been made, they may have led to reviews and modifications of programs in execution.

Some specific outputs of bilateral cooperation activities may be noted:

difficulties of, and lessons learned from, national programs. Additionally, most participants are program technical staff or coordinators. Although no rigorous follow-up to these workshops has been made, they may have led to reviews and modifications of programs in execution.

Some specific outputs of bilateral cooperation activities may be noted:

• The Ministry of Labor of El Salvador developed the "Protocol for sensitization and awareness on the elimination of labor inclusion barriers in employment and placement services" in 2024, under the guidance of Colombia. This instrument facilitates the imple mentation of differentiated approaches in labor inclusion strategies, to the benefit of vulnerable groups.

• As a result of the technical assistance received from the Ministry of Labor of Panama, the Directorate of Employment Training of the Ministry of Labor of Peru developed an improvement8

plan for the Vocational Guidance and Occupational Information Service (SOVIO) in 2024, especially regarding its vocational guidance component in beneficiary schools.

• In Ecuador, the Roadmap to strengthen the Advisory Council of the National System of Professional Qualifications was prepared, and proposals for improvement were identified for said System, after receiving direct technical assistance from the Ministry of Labor of Colombia on its National Qualifications System during 2022 . Within the roadmap, actions to update legislation and design skills certification processes stand out, especially for people in human mobility.

• In Chile, a country that in the decade of the 2010 s saw an increase in immigra tion flows , programs to assist migrant workers were expanded and the Labor Directorate’s Action Plan for Migration was strengthened after receiving technical assistance in 2017 from Costa Rica, a country with a long and recognized experience on the topic.

• The youth employment programs of St. Kitts and Nevis were reviewed and improved in 2017 after a cooperation mission in the United States, specifically on the components of apprenticeship s, summer internships, and linking the Ministry with technical and vocational training institutions.

• Honduras efforts on identification and eradication of child labor in the agricultural sector were reviewed in the light of Colombia’s experience in this area in the coffee sector. The Child Labor

summer internships, and linking the Ministry with technical and vocational training institutions.

• Honduras efforts on identification and eradication of child labor in the agricultural sector were reviewed in the light of Colombia’s experience in this area in the coffee sector. The Child Labor Regulation, now called Protected Teenage Work Regulation, was amended.

• The strategy of communications and dissemination, as well as the implementation of the projects “Mi Primer Empleo” (My First Job) and “Empleo Joven” (Youth Employment) of Ecuador were improved in 2018 after adopting good practices from Panama’s “Programa de Apoyo a la Insercion

Laboral-PAIL” (Labor Insertion Support Program).

• The Ministries of Labor of Barbados, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Lucia reported having improved and strengthened their youth employment strategies –in components such as internships, linking the productive sector with training institutions and pro motional campaigns– after acquiring detailed knowledge of the youth employment initiatives in Jamaica during an onsite visit in 2018.

• The Ministry of Labor of Nicaragua, combining the best practices of the Ministry of Labor and Employment of Brazil with new institutional policies, strengthened their employment service

(SEPEM) and their implementation of the “My First Job” (“Mi primer emp leo”) program, increasing the placement of young graduates from universities and technical centers.

• The initiatives promoted by the Ministry of Labor of Costa Rica on working children and youth were reviewed and improved based on successful practices in Uruguay. In particular, the regulations for the registry of working adolescents were amended to includ e a medical report requirement and instruments such as the social and job assessment record of the working child or adolescent were improved.

• The More and Better Jobs for Youth Program of the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Argentina was strengthened with new management elements and services following an on-site visit by its senior staff to the United States. Warranting ment ion are the regulations redesigned to allow for internships in the public and nongovernmental sector, im