Brasília, September 22, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - For the first time, Brazil will host the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor. From September 24-26, the city of Salvador (BA) will become the center for debates on economic policies aimed at the generation of employment and income, with social inclusion, at the 13th edition of this Organization of American States' (OAS) encounter, with participation by 34 Ministers from around the continent.

President Lula, who will possibly not attend the event, since he will be visiting Cuba, is expected to send a taped message to participants in the meeting about his hopes that the countries of Latin America give priority, in international issues, to the problems they have in common in the labor area.

The Minister of Labor and Employment, Jaques Wagner, takes office for two years as pro-tem president of this forum. This office gives Brazil an important role in mobilizing the continent, and it coincides with the third and final phase of negotiations for the formation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), becoming, therefore, of considerable importance to the country, based on expectations for a hemispheric trade agreement on the labor market.

The Conference plans to approve the Salvador Declaration and the Action Plan, which constitute the foundation and guidelines for common efforts by countries in the hemisphere for the 2003-2005 period. The Salvador Declaration defines commitments to support a project of integral development, which has labor as one of its foundations. The Action Plan proposes initiatives to contribute to the generation of employment and welfare opportunities in the nations of the Americas. (DAS)