Statement by Honourable Minister of Labour of Belize Florencio Marin Jr. at 113th session of the International Labour Conference

Posted: Wednesday, June 11, 2025. 11:05 am CST.

President of the Conference, Director General Gilbert Houngbo, and Distinguished Delegates,

It is a privilege to address this 113th Session of the International Labour Conference on behalf of the Government and People of Belize.

This year’s Conference convenes at a critical moment, as inequality, informality, climate vulnerability, and rapid digitalization continue to shape the world of work. These global challenges require a collective commitment to the principle that labour is not a commodity, and that social justice remains the foundation for sustainable development.

Belize welcomes the Director General’s report and commends ILO for highlighting the connection between decent work, labour rights, and inclusive growth. These are not separate goals but shared priorities that must be pursued through democratic values and strong, inclusive institutions.

Although Belize is small and population, we remain firmly committed to these values. In 2024, we launched our Decent Work Country Programme for the period 2024–2029. Developed through inclusive tripartite collaboration and aligned with our national development goals, this programme focuses on improving labour standards, expanding employment and social protection, and promoting inclusive economic growth.

Belize’s economic performance in 2024 reflects this commitment. Our real GDP grew by 7.1% in the fourth quarter of 2024. These gains are improving the lives of our people. Labour force participation is steadily increasing as unemployment dropped to its lowest in history to 2.1%. Informal employment declined to 35.6%, supported by efforts to formalize work and innovative policies to assist small, medium, and micro-enterprises.

In 2023, Belize increased its minimum wage by 52%. Our Multidimensional Poverty Index fell to 22.1%, down 4.4 percentage points, reflecting broader access to jobs, education, and social services.

To ensure sustained and inclusive growth, we continue to invest in innovative decent work initiatives. With support from the IDB and Taiwan ICDF, this year we are launching a Labour Force Participation and Employability Programme to strengthen skills for youth, women, and migrants. Under this programme, we are introducing a digital intermediation platform to improve access to decent work and support inclusive labour market participation.

Our commitment also reaches historically marginalized areas of our society. In the south of Belize, we are implementing the PROSPER Project, a four-year initiative supported by the EU and ILO, which promotes decent work through local economic development, particularly for rural and Indigenous women and youth.

In addition, Belize has finalized its Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill, now ready for submission to Parliament. This marks a crucial step toward implementing OSH as a fundamental right for the first time in Belize’s history.

This Conference also highlights pressing global labour issues, from the care economy to biological hazards and digital labour platforms. Belize supports the creation of inclusive global labour standards that ensure all workers are protected. Decent work must be more than an aspiration. It must be lived, legislated, and localized. That is why we are embedding decent work at the heart of national development, through social dialogue, policy innovation, and institutional reform.

I close by reaffirming Belize’s unwavering support to the ILO.

At this time when the storms of unilateralism, protectionism and global conflict are wreaking havoc on longstanding global institutions and norms, let us rise together, as one global movement, to shape a future of work that is safe, inclusive, and dignified for all. This gathering of nations in a spirit of dialogue is a silent but profound reaffirmation of our commitment to stability, justice, peace and the global common good.

Thank you.

 

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The post Statement by Honourable Minister of Labour of Belize Florencio Marin Jr. at 113th session of the International Labour Conference appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.

Posted: Wednesday, June 11, 2025. 11:05 am CST. President of the Conference, Director General Gilbert Houngbo, and Distinguished Delegates, It is a privilege to address this
The post Statement by Honourable Minister of Labour of Belize Florencio Marin Jr. at 113th session of the International Labour Conference appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.