06/05/2013
Washington, D.C. – Today and yesterday, government officials from the United States and Colombia convened the inaugural meeting of the Labor Affairs Council (LAC) under the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. Colombian Labor Minister Rafael Pardo led council discussions on behalf of Colombia, and U.S. participants included Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Seth Harris, Acting Deputy Undersecretary of Labor for International Affairs Carol Pier, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Labor Affairs Carlos Romero, and Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Latin America Bennett Harman. The U.S. delegation also included other representatives from USTR, the Department of Labor, and the Department of State.
At the LAC meeting, officials reviewed implementation of the Labor Chapter of the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement. The Council discussed the labor obligations of the agreement as well as progress under the Colombian Action Plan Related to Labor Rights. The officials also discussed areas of technical cooperation and capacity building, including on the topics of enhanced social dialogue, promotion of high-quality jobs, and improving labor inspections.
The LAC meeting concluded with a public session, consistent with the Labor Affairs Council’s commitment to a participatory process. To view the United States-Colombia Labor Affairs Council Joint Statement, please click here.
