GENEVA (ILO News) - The 4th Summit of the Americas represents a great opportunity to ensure that creating decent work is seen as a political challenge, according to ILO Director-General Juan Somavia who will attend the hemisphere-wide meeting in the Argentine city of Mar del Plata on 4-5 November.
"The creation of more and better jobs has become a major political challenge which affects governance, democratic development and human security", Mr. Somavia said on the eve of the Summit, which will gather leaders from 34 American nations to discuss the theme of "Creating jobs to fight poverty and strengthen democratic governance".
Urban unemployment in Latin America fell from 11.1 per cent in 2003 to 9.6 per cent in mid-2005, mainly due to a high level of economic growth in the region, according to the recently published Panorama Laboral, the ILO's Latin American employment survey.
"These numbers are encouraging but we still face an enormous task", Mr. Somavia said, recalling that problems still remain, including the fact that unemployment remains high, while seven out of 10 new jobs are being created in the informal economy and many people lack social basic protection. Furthermore, he said, access to decent work is a fundamental need for the 220 million poor in the region.
The ILO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was founded in 1919. It has 178 member States and promotes decent and productive work under conditions of freedom, equality, security and human dignity.
Somavia said that the Organization will help countries in the region fulfil engagements made in Mar del Plata to promote the creation of more and better jobs. The issue will also be on the agenda of the ILO Regional Meeting of government, employer and worker representatives in Latin America to be held in early 2006.
For further information, please contact:
In Argentina: Cristina Borrajo, press officer, ILO office in Argentina: +5411/43937076, +5411/1549486434 (cell phone), borrajo@bue.oit.org.ar.
ILO Headquarters: Luis Córdova, press officer, Geneva: +4122/799-7911 (office), +4176/4285624 (cell phone), cordova@ilo.org.
ILO Website: Panorama Laboral with latest labour market data (October 2005): www.oit.org.pe/portal/noticias.php?docCodigo=399.