Place and Date: Washington D.C., October 11, 2025
Venue: Rubén Darío Room, 8th Floor, OAS Headquarters, 1889 F St. NW, Washington D.C.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

• Stimulate the debate on freedom of association and collective bargaining in both, the public and private sector;
• Value the importance of freedom of association as a key component of democracy and guarantee of citizenship in a new model of development;
• Advance in Social Dialogue, strengthening the processes of collective bargaining as instruments to prevent and resolve social conflicts

RESULTS

• More consistent knowledge regarding challenges, possibilities and strategies to promote freedom of association and collective bargaining;
• Exchange of initiatives and good experiences of governments, workers and employers that are able to support, perfect and make more effective public policies and programs that promote freedom of association and collective bargaining;
• Identification of relevant aspects related to freedom of association and collective bargaining to be the object of future attention of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML)

PARTICIPANTS

• Representatives from international organizations relevant to the IACML process and other special guests
• Workers’ and employers’ representatives grouped in COSATE and CEATAL
• Representatives from the Permanent Missions to the OAS of Member States
• Representatives from the Ministries of Labor of the OAS Member States RELAVANT DOCUMENTS Final Agenda Final List of Participants Information Guide Photo Gallery

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

Final Report
Final Agenda
List of Participants
Information Guide

PANELS AND PRESENTATIONS

Opening ceremony

Javier Rivas, Director of International Relations of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of El Salvador
• Document

Evelyn Jacir de Lovo, Director of the Department of Social Development and Employment, OAS


Panel 1 - Freedom of association and collective bargaining as instruments to promote decent work

Presentation by ILO, Tania Caron, International Labor Standards Specialist, ILO Office in Costa Rica
• Presentation

Remarks by Brazil. Mario Barbosa, Special Advisor on International Affairs, Ministry of Labor and Employment

Remarks by the United States. Richard Bock, Deputy Assistant General Counsel, National Labor Relations Board, Division of Operations-Management

Remarks by COSATE. Amanda Villatoro, Secretary of Education and Trade Union Policy, Trade Union Confederation of the Americas, COSATE facilitator
• Presentation

Remarks by CEATAL. Stefan Marculewizc, United States Council for International Business (USCIB)

Panel 2 - Strengthening of collective bargaining and freedom of association as strategy to face the international economic crisis: experiences from the region

Remarks by Panama. Yeskelle J. Pedroza Quintero, Special Regional Director of Labor and Labor Development for the Expansion of the Panama Canal
• Presentation

Remarks by COSATE. Rafael Molano, First Vice Chair of Central Unica de Trabajadores (CUT) Colombia
• Presentation

Remarks by CEATAL. John Craig, Alternate Representative of CEATAL and Counsel, Canadian Employers Council
• Presentation

Panel 3 - The role of the IACML /OAS and their bodies in promoting freedom of association and collective bargaining

Remarks by OAS. Evelyn Jacir de Lovo, Director of the Department of Social Development and Employment
• Presentation

Remarks by COSATE. Francisco Quijano, Chair of COSATE and Central Autónoma de Trabajadores Salvadoreños (CATS) El Salvador
• Document

Remarks by CEATAL. John Craig, Alternate Representative of CEATAL and Counsel, Canadian Employers Council
• Document

Synthesis of questions and discussions: proposals for the IACML to follow-up

Remarks by Brazil. Mario Barbosa, Special Advisor on International Affairs, Ministry of Labor and Employment of Brazil

Remarks by COSATE. Marta Pujadas, Vice Chair of COSATE and Confederación General del Trabajo de la Republica (CGT), Argentina
• Document

Remarks by CEATAL. John Craig, Alternate Representative of CEATAL and Counsel, Canadian Employers Council

Adjournment

Javier Rivas, Director of International Relations of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of El Salvador

Evelyn Jacir de Lovo, Director of the Department of Social Development and Employment, OAS

Photo gallery