GUATEMALA'S INPUT ON CAFTA-DR LABOR TRADE CAPACITY

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000262 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR DRL/ILCSR GABRIELLA RIGG, WHA/EPSC MIKE PUCCETTI DOL FOR ILAB LAURA BUFFO DEPT PASS TO AID FOR DAVID JESSEE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB ETRD EAID KDEM PHUM KJUS PGOV GT SUBJECT: GUATEMALA'S INPUT ON CAFTA-DR LABOR TRADE CAPACITY BUILDING REF: STATE 18046 ¶1. Per reftel, post consulted with the Ministry of Labor on its areas of focus and priority needs for CAFTA-DR labor trade capacity building in Guatemala. Labor officer delivered reftel points, explaining to Ministry officials that the USG is seeking input from all stakeholders through various channels and, while it cannot ensure the funding of all proposals or provide funds directly to the Ministry, it will incorporate their input into the decisionmaking process. Laboff also stressed the importance of GOG commitment of additional resources to the sustainability and success of mutual capacity-building efforts, and encouraged the Ministry to engage GOG budgetary authorities to seek support. ¶2. The Ministry emphasized the need for ongoing technical assistance and training to strengthen its institutional capacity, which has suffered from budgetary constraints. It submitted eight cooperation projects, including four priority projects and four secondary projects subject to available funding, via email to Washington on February 27. ¶3. The projects, based on priority areas and recommendations in the CAFTA-DR White Paper, aim to establish a national social dialogue on labor, update existing labor legislation and adapt them to ILO conventions ratified by Guatemala, improve the performance of the Labor Inspectorate, provide training on ILO conventions, expedite labor trials and other labor procedures, investigate the delay in development of a plan to guarantee effective implementation of labor laws, provide training on occupational health and safety, and create a mobile unit for alternate conflict resolution. In addition, the Ministry expressed its interest in available DOL funding to strengthen labor law compliance in the agricultural sector. Derham