International Labour Organization - Background of the Subregional Office for the Caribbean

Background of the ILO Subregional office for the Caribbean

The Caribbean Office of the ILO was established on the 20th of October 1969 in Port of Spain Trinidad. The Office serves 21 countries which includes the English- and Dutch-speaking territories. There are presently 13 Caribbean Member States, the most recent members being St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Caribbean Members of the ILO Governing Body

The Caribbean members of the Governing Body of the ILO are: Government of the Bahamas; Mr. Hilton-Clarke, Employers' Representative (Trinidad and Tobago); Sir Roy Trotman, Workers' Representative (Barbados).

The ILO Caribbean Office

The Office comprises a Director, a Deputy Director and a number of support staff.

The ILO Caribbean Office has 3 operational units, Administration and Finance, Programme and Information.

Technical Advisory Services

In 1993, under the ILO's Active Partnership Policy (APP) the caribbean Multidisciplinary Advisory Team was established to address more effectively the needs of Caribbean constituents through an on-going process of dialogue and collaboration. The function of the advisory team is to provide technical support and advice to Governments, Employers' and Workers' organisations in the Caribbean. Services include giving policy and technical advice, conducting training workshops and seminars, undertaking research, providing information and developing and executing technical cooperation projects.

The ILO Subregional Office comprises a number of Specialists. Services are offered in:

International Labour Standards;

Labour Relations and Labour Administration;

Employment and Labour Market Policies;

Employers' Activities;

Workers' Activities;

Human Resource Development/Vocational Training;

Labour Legislation;

Gender Issues;

Entrepreneurship and Management Development;

Social Security;

Occupational Safety and Health; and

Cooperatives;

Child Labour.

The Inter-American Centre for Research and Information in Vocational Training (CINTERFOR), a regional centre of the ILO located in Montevideo, Uruguay has a Focal Point for the Caribbean located in the ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean.