Themes of the Fourth Summit of the Americas - 2005

The overall theme of the Fourth Summit of the Americas is "Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance." As such, the Fourth Summit will focus on three main sub-themes: creating decent jobs, creating jobs to fight poverty, and creating jobs to strengthen democratic governance. These themes reflect a recognition in the hemisphere that economic prosperity must be accompanied by equity, through decent work, reduced poverty and effective government. Leaders will consider a declaration and a plan of action that will address the principal challenges facing the hemisphere and will provide specific, concrete initiatives to meet those challenges. The Fourth Summit will underline the leaders' commitment to ensuring that the balanced hemispheric agenda of democracy, prosperity and equity maintains a people-centred focus and will set the groundwork for the Fifth Summit of the Americas.

• Creating decent jobs
• Creating jobs to fight poverty
• Creating jobs to strengthen democratic governance

Creating decent jobs

Canada recognizes that a specific effort is needed to ensure that all of society has access to the benefits of growth. In Mar del Plata, the theme of creating decent jobs has a two-fold focus: economic growth as a necessary but not sufficient condition for creating jobs; and the necessity of creating dignified jobs, or decent work, as defined in the International Labour Organization's Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

This theme recognizes that sustained economic growth with equity and social inclusion are indispensable conditions to confront extreme poverty and to overcome inequality. Some countries in the region have experienced economic growth in the past without experiencing improvements in the rates of unemployment, and the lack of inclusive social policies meant that the benefits of growth have not been shared by all.

The Declaration and Plan of Action of Mar del Plata will thus focus on increasing competitiveness, diversifying economic activity, creating a positive and secure investment climate, and promoting corporate social responsibility. Most importantly, the private sector, and more specifically micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), is recognized as the engine of job growth. Planned initiatives will focus on providing MSMEs with training, technical assistance and access to credit.

To complement the efforts of the private sector in creating decent jobs, governments will promote entrepreneurship and focus on providing a propitious institutional framework, including for legal, economic, social and labour issues. This is an especially opportune occasion to implement the recommendations of the UN's Commission on the Private Sector and Development, called Unleashing Entrepreneurship-Making Business Work for the Poor. Finally, governments must ensure the informal sector is integrated into the formal sector, as well as promoting policies that ensure sustainable development.

Creating jobs to fight poverty

Although a region of great potential, Latin American and Caribbean nations face some of the greatest income and social inequalities in the world. Reducing unemployment and ensuring that people have decent work are critical factors in reducing poverty and spreading the benefits of economic growth to all people. In formulating job creation strategies, there must be gender equity guidelines as well as specific policies for the inclusion of indigenous peoples. Governments will also have to better distribute income through fair and effective tax systems, and the effective delivery of programs, and by reducing corruption.

Similarly, leaders will discuss how to advance the fight against discrimination of all kinds, and promote employment opportunities for all vulnerable groups. There is recognition of the need to include employers' and workers' organizations in the development of labour policy, and in the implementation of internationally recognized labour standards to ensure that work is dignified and the health and safety of all workers is protected. Finally, leaders will look at ways of developing comprehensive social protection systems to mitigate the negative effects of unemployment and social exclusion.

Leaders will also promote further initiatives to support education at all levels, including professional training and other forms of lifelong learning. Special emphasis will be placed on teaching science and technology and in the adoption of new technologies in the workplace.

Information and communications technologies bridge vast distances, expand access to knowledge and increase economic productivity. Canada showed its commitment to breaking down the digital divide by creating the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA) at the Quebec City Summit in 2001. The Fourth Summit of the Americas will highlight the role that the ICA has played in enabling the people of the Americas to participate more fully in the political, social and economic development of their societies.

Creating jobs to strengthen democratic governance

Canada agrees with the principle that ensuring citizens have decent work encourages inclusion and active participation in the democratic process. The broader issues of governance, including the effective delivery of government services and the fight against corruption, are priorities for leaders at the Fourth Summit. The Americas must build on the Monterrey Consensus, development commitments adopted at the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2002. This means establishing conditions that contribute to good governance, sound fiscal and monetary policies, and improved transparency in public institutions, through such means as a professional public service and an efficient and equitable tax-collecting system. Leaders will examine ways to ensure that reforms benefit all sectors of society and reduce social and economic inequalities. Investing in education and health, through better use of local resources and with added bilateral and multilateral assistance, is essential for the region's future growth.

Democratic governance entails developing an agenda that includes strengthening the credibility of, and public trust in, democratic institutions. The wide participation of civil society is essential, so that democratic governance can respond to the expressed needs of the people. Constructive dialogue with all sectors of society is key to developing relationships based on trust and transparency. Inclusion of indigenous groups is of particular importance in this regard, as is the universal protection and promotion of human rights.

The democratic governance agenda also includes making government and public administration more effective. Increasing the accountability and transparency of governments and fighting corruption are key objectives. The 1996 Inter-American Convention Against Corruption was a major step, as was the agreement on the Follow-up Mechanism on implementation of the convention. Universal access to impartial, independent judicial systems is essential to confidence in hemispheric and national institutions charged with upholding the rule of law. Improved cooperation in promoting the civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights of indigenous peoples remains a hemispheric priority.