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The OAS brings together the nations of the Western Hemisphere to strengthen cooperation on democratic values, defend common interests and confront shared problems such as poverty, terrorism, illegal drugs and corruption. It is made up of 35 member states: the independent nations of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. The government of Cuba, a member state, has been suspended from participation since 1962; thus only 34 countries participate actively.
The IACML is a forum, under the auspices of the OAS, in which the Western Hemisphere's Labor Ministers promote hemispheric cooperation on labor issues. Meetings take place approximately every two years. Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development is the current chair pro tempore of the XV IACML. Argentina will follow as the chair pro tempore and will host the next labor ministerial in 2009. DOL's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) is the lead U.S. government agency for activities under the IACML.
The IACML responds to the labor mandates agreed to by the U.S. President and other heads of state in the Summit of the Americas process. In the IACML, Ministries of Labor work together with the goal of improving opportunities, outcomes and workplace conditions for workers throughout the Americas. U.S. Department of Labor Deputy Under Secretary Charlotte Ponticelli led the U.S. delegation to the XV IACML, hosted by Trinidad and Tobago in September 2007.
The IACML also has a mechanism for cooperation and technical assistance, the Inter-American Network for Labor Administration (RIAL, by its Spanish acronym). The RIAL was created in 2005 and supports multilateral workshops and seminars within the IACML work program. In 2007 the OAS established the RIAL Cooperation Fund, which directly finances Ministry-to-Ministry exchanges to share practices, provide training on programs, and help expand the capabilities of labor ministries.
IACML members also conduct conferences and meetings on key issues. In May 2008, DOL, Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and Employment, and the OAS, collaborated in the organization of a RIAL Seminar on Youth Employment, held in Rio de Janeiro. The seminar brought together officials from Ministries of Labor in the Western Hemisphere, and representatives from employers' organizations, trade unions, public and private sector experts on youth employment and international organizations to discuss approaches for smoothing the transition of youth into first employment. The importance of strong public-private partnerships for effective program design and implementation was emphasized throughout the seminar.
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