US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA185

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TEGUCIGALPA 000185 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DRL/IL, DRL/PHD, AND OES/EID 
STATE FOR WHA/PPC, WHA/EPSC, AND WHA/CEN 
DOL FOR ILAB 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CEN AND EGAT/HCD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, PREL, EAID, KSUM, ECON, SOCI, TBIO, HO 
SUBJECT: HONDURAS: INVENTORY OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON 
LABOR ISSUES 
 
REF: 02 STATE 147754 
 
1. Honduras is receiving the following technical assistance 
on labor issues.  Sources for this information include the 
Honduran Ministry of Labor, ILO/IPEC, the Department of 
Labor, and other international donors.  Post notes that due 
to the wide range of projects and sources of information some 
project information may be outdated.  Post welcomes any more 
updated information on specific programs.  (Note: Central 
America is defined as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, 
Honduras, and Nicaragua for the purposes of this cable.  End 
Note.) 
 
USG assistance 
-------------- 
 
Project Title: Freedom of Association, Collective Bargaining 
and Industrial Relations in Central America Project 
(RELACENTRO). 
Participants: Ministry of Labor and Labor Courts, major trade 
unions and employer groups. 
Expected Results: Being re-defined based on mid-term 
evaluation; project objective is to promote industrial 
relations, collective bargaining, and conflict resolution in 
Central America. 
Funded by: DOL/ILAB. 
Funding Level: USD 1,500,000 for all five countries 
Project Duration: January 2001 - January 2003. 
 
Project Title: Regional Occupational Safety and Health 
Project (CERSSO) (Central America, Panama, Belize, and the 
Dominican Republic). 
Participants: Ministry of Labor, major trade unions and 
employer groups, vocational institutes. 
Expected Results: regional center; demonstration projects; 
maquila training; labor ministry support; vocational 
training; awareness raising.  Project objective is to reduce 
the number of accidents and injuries in the workplace. 
Funded by: DOL/ILAB. 
Funding Level: USD 3,600,000 for all eight countries 
Project Duration: August 2000 - August 2003. 
 
Project Title:  Statistical Program for Advocacy on the 
Elimination of Child Labor and the Protection of Working 
Children in Central America and the Dominican Republic 
(SIMPOC) 
Participants: household survey 
Expected Results: Design, methodology, and implementation of 
statistical child labor surveys. 
Funded by: USDOL/ILAB via ILO/IPEC. 
Funding Level: USD 2,210,173 for all five countries 
Project Duration: October 1999- December 2003. 
 
Project Title:  Regional Program to Eliminate Child Labor in 
the Coffee Sector in Central America and the Dominican 
Republic - Management and Coordination 
Participants:  Working children/youth and their parents. 
Expected Results: Aims at removing children from or 
preventing children from exploitative work, and aims to 
provide educational opportunities and social services for 
children and their families. 
Funded by: USDOL/ILAB via ILO/IPEC. 
Funding Level: USD 1,169,503 for all six countries 
Project Duration: September 1999- March 2003. 
 
Project Title: Combating Child Labor in the Coffee Industry 
of Honduras 
Participants:  Working children/youth and their parents. 
Expected Results: Aims at removing children from or 
preventing children from exploitative work, and aims to 
provide educational opportunities, social services, and 
micro-credit assistance for families. 
Funded by: USDOL/ILAB via ILO/IPEC. 
Funding Level: USD 441,770 
Project Duration: November 1999 - March 2003. 
Project Title:  Combating Child Labor in Commercial 
Agriculture in Central America and the Dominican Republic - 
Management and Coordination 
Participants:  Working children/youth and their parents. 
Expected Results: Regional project encompassing project on 
melon industry in Honduras. 
Funded by: USDOL/ILAB via ILO/IPEC. 
Funding Level: USD 1,122,501 for all six countries 
Project Duration: April 2000 - March 2003. 
 
Project Title: Elimination of Child Labor in the Melon 
Industry in Honduras 
Participants:  Working children/youth and their parents. 
Expected Results: Aims at removing children from or 
preventing children from exploitative work, and aims to 
provide educational opportunities, social services, and 
micro-credit assistance for families. 
Funded by: USDOL/ILAB via ILO/IPEC. 
Funding Level: USD 792,241 
Project Duration: October 2000 - March 2003. 
 
Project Title: Educational Response Strategies for Working 
Children in Valle, Honduras 
Participants:  Working children/youth of migrant workers and 
children involved in the worst forms of child labor and their 
parents. 
Expected Results: Aims at removing children from or 
preventing children/youth from exploitative work and 
providing educational opportunities for them. 
Funded by: USAID. 
Funding Level: USD 105,252 
Project Duration: September 15, 2002 - September 15, 2003. 
 
Project Title:  Contribution to the Prevention and 
Elimination of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in 
Central America, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. 
Participants:  Working children/youth and their parents. 
Expected Results: Regional project encompassing project in 
Honduras. 
Funded by: USDOL/ILAB via ILO/IPEC. 
Funding Level: USD 3,795,285 for all seven countries 
Project Duration: June 30, 2002 - May 2005. 
 
Project Title: Program Supporting Participation in the Free 
Trade of the Americas (PROALCA II) (Central America, Belize, 
Panama, and the Dominican Republic) 
Participants:  Ministries of Labor, labor unions, and civil 
society organizations. 
Expected Results: More equitable and efficient labor markets. 
Funded by: USAID. 
Funding Level: USD 6,300,000 for all eight countries 
Project Duration: July 20, 2002 - September 30, 2007. 
 
Other Donors 
------------ 
 
Project Title:  International Program for the Eradication of 
Child Labor (IPEC) in Latin America (Central America, Panama, 
and the Dominican Republic) 
Participants:  Ministries of Labor, employers, civil society, 
and working children/youth and their parents. 
Expected Results: Combating child labor. 
Funded by: ILO/IPEC. 
Funding Level: USD 1,242,634 for all seven countries 
Project Duration: January 2002 - December 2003. 
 
Project Title: Program to Eradicate Illnesses from the Sexual 
Transmission of HIV/AIDS For Workers in Honduras 
Participants:  maquila and industrial workers in San Pedro 
Sula and Tegucigalpa. 
Expected Results: Aims at contributing to the reduction of 
the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS through promoting changes 
in sexual behavior in workers. 
Funded by: GTZ (German AID Agency) using EU funds. 
Funding Level: approximately USD 27,758 
Project Duration: project ends April 2003. 
 
Project Title: Continual Help/Rotating Fund for Honduras 
Participants:  varies 
Expected Results: Promote microenterprises to help provide 
jobs for unskilled labor. 
Funded by: AECI (Spanish AID Agency). 
Funding Level: USD 72,597.70 
Project Duration: indefinite. 
Project Title: Regional Project: Modernization of the 
Administration of Work (MATAC) - Central America, Belize, 
Panama, and the Dominican Republic 
Participants: Ministries of Labor 
Expected Results: Promote conditions for the transformation 
of the administration of work in Central American countries. 
Funded by: AECI (Spanish AID Agency). 
Funding Level: USD 2,930,000 for all eight countries 
Project Duration: October 1997 - December 31, 2002. 
 
Project Title: Special Rights Protection in Honduras 
Participants:  Ministry of Labor 
Expected Results: Strengthening institutional ability of MOL; 
better awareness of and participation in combating child 
labor by municipal authorities; investigation of child labor 
in salt and sugar industries in Valle. 
Funded by: UNICEF. 
Funding Level: USD 15,000/year 
Project Duration: project planned for 2002-2006. 
 
Project Title: Special Rights Protection/Good Start to Life 
in Honduras 
Participants:  Ministry of Labor 
Expected Results: Strengthening institutional ability of MOL; 
better awareness of and participation in combating child 
labor by municipal authorities; investigation of child labor 
in salt and sugar industries in Valle; two child care centers 
for the children of working women. 
Funded by: UNICEF 
Funding Level: USD 30,000/year 
Project Duration: project planned for 2002-2006. 
 
Project Title: Incorporating the Gender Dimension in Policies 
of Eradicating Poverty and Generating Employment in Latin 
America (Argentina, Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, 
and Peru). 
Participants:  Ministries of Labor 
Expected Results: Improving employment options for female 
workers. 
Funded by: ILO 
Funding Level: USD 1,250,000 for all six countries 
Project Duration: April 1, 2002 - December 31, 2003. 
 
Project Title: Worker Education Assistance for Rural Workers 
Organizations in Latin America for the Promotion of 
International Core Labor Rights (Costa Rica, Dominican 
Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua). 
Participants:  Ministries of Labor 
Expected Results: Improved living conditions for rural 
workers. 
Funded by: ILO/Government of Norway 
Funding Level: USD 1,480,740 for all four countries 
Project Duration: February 2000 - June 2003. 
 
Project Title: Prevention and Eradication of Child Labor in 
Garbage Dumps of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. 
Participants:  Ministries of Labor 
Expected Results: Reduction of child labor in garbage dumps. 
Funded by: ILO/Government of Italy 
Funding Level: USD 2,753,812 for all three countries 
Project Duration: July 2002 - June 2004. 
 
Project Title: Tripartism and Social Dialogue in Central 
America: Strengthening the Processes of Consolidation of 
Democracy. 
Participants:  Ministries of Labor, labor unions, and 
employers 
Expected Results: Improve government relations with civil 
society and business. 
Funded by: ILO/Government of Norway 
Funding Level: USD 1,750,000 for all five countries 
Project Duration: June 2002 - June 2004. 
 
Project Title: Extension of Social Security Coverage to the 
Excluded and Poor in Honduras. 
Participants:  Ministries of Labor, NGOs/civil society, and 
employers. 
Expected Results: Extend social security coverage. 
Funded by: Government of The Netherlands 
Funding Level: USD 207,667 
Project Duration: April 2002 - December 2003. 
 
Project Title: Regional Program for Sustainable Employment 
(Central America, particularly Honduras and Nicaragua). 
Participants:  Ministries of Labor, NGOs/civil society, and 
employers. 
Expected Results: Create quality jobs in small businesses. 
Funded by: Government of The Netherlands 
Funding Level: USD 356,700 for all five countries 
Project Duration: July 2002 - June 2003. 
 
Project Title: Decent Work for Formation and Innovation 
(Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, 
and Nicaragua). 
Participants:  Ministries of Labor and universities. 
Expected Results: Create decent work and improve human 
resources development. 
Funded by: Government of Italy 
Funding Level: USD 650,000 for all six countries 
Project Duration: June 2001 - May 2004. 
 
Project Title: International Commercialization of Products 
from Small Businesses in Central America, Panama, and the 
Dominican Republic. 
Participants:  Governments and cooperative associations. 
Expected Results: Promotion of exports of products produced 
by cooperatives. 
Funded by: Government of Italy 
Funding Level: USD 300,000 for all seven countries 
Project Duration: second half of 2002 - 2004. 
 
Palmer