- 43 - THE SALVADOR DECLARATION 1. We, the Ministers participating in the XIII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor of the Organization of American States, met in the city of Salvador, State of Bahia, Federal Republic of Brazil, on September 24, 25 and 26, 2003, to address issues related to globalization which affect employment and labor in the Americas. 2. We reaffirm our strong commitment to the principles of inter-American solidarity and cooperation of the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), to pool our efforts to achieve integral development, which encompasses the economic, social, educational, cultural, scientific, and technological fields. We emphasize that equality of opportunity, the elimination of extreme poverty, the equitable distribution of wealth and income, and the full participation of citizens in decisions related to their own development are, inter alia, basic objectives of integral development. To attain such objectives, we agree to dedicate our efforts to achieve, among other goals, the equitable distribution of national income, the payment of fair wages, opportunities for employment, and labor conditions that are consistent with internationally accepted standards. 3. We recall the Inter-American Democratic Charter, approved by the OAS in Lima, Peru, in September 2001 and, in particular, Article 10, which recognizes that the promotion and strengthening of democracy require the full and effective exercise of workers’ rights and the application of core labor standards, as recognized in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and its Follow-up, adopted in 1998, as well as other related basic ILO conventions. Democracy is strengthened by improving working conditions, labor stability and enhancing the quality of life for workers in the Hemisphere. The OAS members restate their commitment to adopting and implementing all those actions required to generate gainful employment, reduce poverty, and eradicate extreme poverty, taking into account the different economic realities and conditions of the countries of the Hemisphere, as recognized in article 12 of the Charter. 4. We emphasize our firm commitment to the goals of the UN Millennium Declaration and, in particular, the eradication of extreme poverty, creating and enabling people everywhere to find decent and productive work. We are committed to the tasks of improved governance and transparency identified in the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development. 5. Our deliberations are framed by the commitments agreed to in the Third Summit of the Americas, held in Quebec, Canada in April 2001. At that time, the Heads of State and Government of the Americas instructed us to continue addressing issues related to the effects of globalization on employment and labor, the objectives of creating greater employment opportunities, improving workers’ skills, and improving labor conditions throughout the Hemisphere. 6. We note that the upcoming Special Summit of the Americas, to be held in Mexico, will focus on equitable economic growth, social development, and democratic governance. We recognize that our efforts to support the integral development of our peoples are consistent with the objectives of the Special Summit. We commit to working through the Summit of the Americas process, including the Special Summit, to accomplish our objectives.