Strengthening strategies and alliances in the prevention and eradication of child labor was the purpose for which delegates from Costa Rica, Chile and El Salvador met in San José, Costa Rica from March 27 to 29.

This activity is part of a South-South cooperation process that allowed these countries the opportunity to learn about and exchange information about their experiences in monitoring child labor through information systems and inter-institutional coordination and to address the challenges from public institutions. to support business strategies related to the prevention and eradication of child labor, particularly business networks.

In addition, the countries pledged to continue with the exchange of information and advice among themselves, to continue contributing their experience and knowledge during the process of follow-up and implementation of actions that follows in each of the countries.

Participating in the activity were the Office for the Prevention of Child Labor and the Protection of Adolescent Workers of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) and the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) of Costa Rica; For Chile, Patricia Vera Medina, representative of the National Service for Minors (SENAME) of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights participated; and Wilfredo Flores García, representative of the Ministry of Economy of El Salvador.

The agenda of the exchange included meetings with the "National Steering Committee for the Prevention of Child Labor and Protection of Adolescent Workers", led by the Vice Minister of Labor, a Conversation with the "Network of Companies against Child Labor" and a meeting between SENAME and the National Children's Trust on the challenges they are facing in the fight against commercial sexual exploitation. 

According to Noortje Denkers, representative of the ILO and of the Technical Secretariat of the Regional Initiative Latin America and the Caribbean free of child labor, the objective of these initiatives is to facilitate spaces for South-South Cooperation that contribute to strengthening the capacities of the countries to achieve target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which calls for effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern forms of slavery and human trafficking, and ensure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.

The exchange made it possible to follow up on the following South-South Cooperation agreements, established between the countries of the region:

• “Partners in Action”, South-South Cooperation agreements verified between the countries of the region in Brasilia (2015) within the framework of the Regional Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean free of child labor.

• Regional Action Plan , adopted in 2015 by the Council of Ministers of Labor of CA, Panama and the Dominican Republic, specifically related to the eradication of child labor.

• South-South Cooperation Agreement signed in June 2016 between the MTSS of Costa Rica and the MTPS of El Salvador, specifically to address the issues that will be discussed during this exchange.

The meeting has been organized by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Costa Rica, the ILO Office for Central America, Haiti, Panama and the Dominican Republic and the Regional Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean free of child labor.