Joint Statement of the United States Department of Labor and the Honduran Secretariat of Labor and Social Security regarding the Public Report of Review on U.S. Submission 2012-01 (Honduras)
The U.S. Department of Labor and Honduran Secretariat of Labor and Social Security together announce the publication of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Public Report of Review on U.S. Submission 2012-01 under the Labor Chapter of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).
A delegation of U.S. government officials from the Department of Labor, the Department of State, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative traveled to Honduras to meet with Honduran government officials, members of the media, and Honduran business, labor, and civil society stakeholders to discuss the findings and recommendations of the report, and to promote further U.S.-Honduras cooperation and coordination on labor matters.
The Department of Labor and Secretariat of Labor and Social Security pledge to work together to implement the report’s recommendations to strengthen the protection of internationally recognized labor rights in Honduras, including by addressing the underlying labor law enforcement concerns identified in the report. The Department of Labor and Secretariat of Labor and Social Security view this report as an important opportunity to expand their robust bilateral cooperation on labor issues and to build upon steps already being taken by the Honduran government.
Honduras’ commitment to making progress on labor law enforcement is a positive example of the groundwork it is laying for successful implementation of the Alliance for Prosperity Plan of the Governments of the Northern Triangle.
As part of this cooperation, the Department of Labor also announces the award of a $7 million cooperative agreement to World Vision to implement a project to combat child labor and improve labor rights and working conditions in Honduras, including by helping to build the capacity of the Honduran government to identify and ensure remediation of Honduran labor law violations.
The Government of the Republic of Honduras, presided over by President Juan Orlando Hernandez, through the Secretariat of Labor and Social Security, reiterates its commitment to enforce labor laws, fortified by the international conventions Honduras has ratified, to fully guarantee respect for the rights of workers and prioritize dialogue as the best tool to find solutions to any existing disagreements.
