In 2020, Colombia joined the OECD as the 37th Member of the Organisation, bringing to a successful conclusion an accession process that began in 2013. During the accession process, Colombia made important reforms and progress in the area of labour market and social policies, converging towards OECD best policies and practices. However, OECD member countries invited the Colombian Government to reinforce its reform agenda in four areas in particular: (1) labour informality and subcontracting; (2) labour law enforcement; (3) collective bargaining; and (4) crimes against trade unionists. Members also requested regular progress reports by the Colombian authorities and the OECD Secretariat on these four specific areas. This report is the first post-accession progress report by the OECD Secretariat since Colombia’s accession. The Colombian authorities have released two reports so far, one in 2021 and another one in 2022.
The assessment provided in this report benefitted from input from a wide range of stakeholders in Colombia, including the Ministry of Labour, the National Training Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the National Protection Unit, the National Planning Department, trade union and employer federations, the National Trade Union School and other civil society organisations; as well as international actors, including the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Social Development Canada, and the International Labour Organization. A draft version of the report was shared with the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD and Business at OECD (BIAC) for comments.
This report was written by Veerle Miranda and Juliana González Rodríguez (independent consultant), under the senior leadership of Monika Queisser, Head of Social Policy Division. Stefano Scarpetta, Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, reviewed and commented on the report. Valuable input and support throughout the evaluation process was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and Employment and Social Development Canada. The OECD also received comments from the Colombian Ministry of Labour on the report. Lucy Hulett prepared the report for publication.