Ministry of Labor Partners with ILO to Roll Out Decent Work Program in Rural Belize

The Ministry of Labor and Local Government has partnered with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to advance the rollout of the Decent Work Program in Belize’s rural areas. This initiative aims to enhance labor standards and create inclusive, decent work opportunities for all Belizeans. Valentino Shal, CEO of the Ministry of Rural Transformation, highlighted the program’s dual focus on infrastructure development and local economic growth.

Valentino Shal, CEO, Ministry of Rural Development: “So the Decent Work Country program was recently signed between the Government of Belize and the International Labour Organization. This program is really a roadmap for what are the issues that we will jointly work on together between the ILO and the Government of Belize. And so it’s a program, we are launching it now, we are putting together the administrative structures, the oversight committees and so forth for the implementation of this program. It goes up to 2027, I believe. This really is to help us to be clear on what it is that we’re going to try to achieve in terms of improving labour market, workforce preparedness and labour outcomes for the country and of course for workers and businesses in Belize. It’s a very important document, it’s a very important programme because it sets out clearly the challenges that the labour market currently faces and how we’re going to address those challenges. And so it’s a very useful way to ensure that we are moving ahead and making progress in terms of labor force participation and the labor market in the country.”

The project is part of a broader project led by the Ministry of Rural Transformation, executed by the ILO, and funded by the European Union. /