International Labour Organization (implemented by the Employment Policies Branch and the Multi-disciplinary Team, ILO/CAMAT, Port-of-Spain.

ILO is carrying out the Country Employment Policy Review (CEPR) in a number of countries, as part of its follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen in 1995). Within the global framework of the CEPR exercise, Barbados has been chosen to demonstrate the specific challenges faced by small, open, island countries in sustaining stability and generating growth and employment in a period of rapid globalization and regional integration.

The CEPR in Barbados was designed, in full consultation with a large number of government agencies and ministries, NGOs, and workers’ and employers’ organizations, to address critical policy concerns to promote the goal of full employment and sustainable livelihoods, with full respect for basic workers’ rights. The project was also focusing on macroeconomic stability; sectoral growth, especially tourism and finance; small and micro-enterprises; human resources development and training; labour market policies and protocols; and social dialogue.

The project was carried out with full consent of the Government (Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Planning), and the other stakeholders.

The draft CEPR report was prepared and submitted to the government; policy reforms were discussed at a brainstorming meeting held as part of a two-day national seminar (27-28 October 1998); during a preliminary ILO mission, full support was extended by the UN system agencies. Policy reforms and various development programmes are expected as a result of the CEPR exercise.