Vice-Presidency of Colombia and later Ministry of Equality and Equity.
I-6 Has the ILO been involved in the initiative?
Yes
I-6-A Specify how the ILO was involved
The National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) 4143 was approved in February 2025 by the Colombian Government, through the Ministry of Equality and Equity and the National Planning Department, establishing the guidelines of the National Care Policy and the implementation of the National Care System (SNC), created by Law 2281 of 2023. The International Labour Organization (ILO) made strategic contributions that strengthened the diagnosis, design and implementation of the policy: it provided the conceptual framework based on the 5Rs; it offered normative references such as Conventions Nos. 156, 183, 189 and 169 to guarantee labor rights of care workers; and provided technical evidence through the document "A look at the territorial experiences of community care in Colombia", a qualitative study on community organizations and paid and unpaid care workers. It also supported the operationalization of the SNC with two pilots in Quibdó, Chocó, and the Jimaín indigenous reservation in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, validating the Think.CareCoop and Start.CareCoop methodologies for territorial articulation and organizational strengthening. These inputs made it possible to integrate a rights, gender and decent work approach into four strategic axes: i) recognition and dignification of care, ii) gender equity and redistribution of care work, iii) protection and formalization of care workers, iv) institutional strengthening and intersectoral coordination, from the SNC and its information system, and a ten-year action plan with an assigned budget. In addition, training and the campaign "What if we share care" were developed, with a focus on Conventions Nos. 183 and 156, with more than 200 participants from unions, companies and the national government.
I-7 Is there collaboration with other agencies of the United Nations System or other partners?
Yes
I-7-A Specify agency names
IDB, UN Women and UNDP.
II-1 Justification of the initiative
In Colombia, it arises from the need to address the inequities that exist in the social organization of care, despite the regulatory advances since 2009 and instruments such as Law 1413 of 2010 (ENUT and CSEC), Law 1346 of 2009 and Law 2297 of 2023 that established legal and statistical bases, these efforts were not fully articulated to guarantee the right to care or cover the entire dimension of people caregivers, especially in territories with low institutional supply.The National Development Plan 2022-2026 establishes clear guidelines to consolidate a National Care System and establishes that such a system must articulate services, regulations and policies aimed at offering care to people who require it and improving the conditions in which caregivers can receive it. This includes measures such as capacity building for paid and unpaid caregivers, as well as care and capacity building services for people who require care or support. This policy is essential to offer care to those who require it and to improve the conditions of caregivers, paid or unpaid. Its implementation seeks to close historical gaps, recognize plural knowledge and strengthen capacities. The policy responds to a social debt that transcends the legal framework. Without this articulation, disproportionate burdens are perpetuated on vulnerable women, families, and communities.This initiative is essential to ensure that caring and being cared for are effective rights for all people in all territories of Colombia, transforming structural inequality through a comprehensive institutional offer.
II-10 Focus on other branches of economic activity
Accommodation and food service activities
II-10 Focus on other branches of economic activity
Education
II-10 Focus on other branches of economic activity
Human health and social work activities
II-10 Focus on other branches of economic activity
Other service activities
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Cooperatives
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Other SSE entities (associations, mutual societies, foundations, self-help groups)
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Employees
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Own-account workers
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Contributing family workers
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Workers not classifiable by status
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Domestic workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Community health and care workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Childcare workers (for children ages 0-start of primary school)
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Personal care and/or assistance workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Nurses
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Long-term care / geriatric care workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Personal assistants / disability support workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Other health workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Workers in the informal economy
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Women
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Persons with other care responsibilities
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Indigenous and tribal peoples
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Ethnic and racial minorities
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Migrants or forcibly displaced persons
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Older persons
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Children
II-15 Has the initiative been developed through effective social dialogue processes and inter-institutional coordination mechanisms?
Other consultations
II-15-A Specification
Prior consultation has been carried out with indigenous communities and indigenous authorities in the country. In addition, for the construction of the National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES 4143), studies were carried out in the territories and regional dialogues were held, to collect inputs for the process, on the other hand, the CONPES was published and the possibility of being commented on was opened.
II-2 Objectives and description of the initiative
General Objective: Between now and 2034, the aim is to advance in the transformation of the social organization of care in Colombia to guarantee the effective enjoyment of the rights of caregivers, including the right to care in dignified conditions, and the right to receive care, assistance or support from people who require it; as well as to recognize and strengthen the collective and community forms of care and care practices of ethnic peoples and peasant communities, as a pillar of the sustenance of human and non-human and interdependent life in all its expressions.Specific objectivesTo increase the recognition and strengthening of community and collective care practices, as well as the care practices of peasant communities and ethnic peoples, in order to improve the conditions in which they are provided.Increase the recognition and effective enjoyment of the rights of caregivers, to improve their quality of life and the conditions in which they provide care.To contribute to the transformation of the cultural factors that maintain inequality in the social organization of care in order to democratize it.Strengthen the State's capacity to meet in a timely and pertinent manner the demands for care, assistance or support of the population that requires it and of caregivers to ensure the proper functioning of the National Care System. The National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES 4143) is a public policy document that is prepared for a period of 10 years and guarantees a specific budget to execute the actions of said policy.
II-3 Type of initiative
National/local law
II-3 Type of initiative
Policy / strategy
II-3 Type of initiative
Project / pilot intervention
II-4 Which of the Rs in the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work guides this initiative?
Recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care
II-4 Which of the Rs in the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work guides this initiative?
Reward care workers
II-4 Which of the Rs in the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work guides this initiative?
Representation of care workers
II-5 Which is the main policy area of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Care policies
II-6 Which other policy areas of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Labour Protection policies
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Mainstream care into relevant public policies
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Formalization of informal care jobs and enterprises
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Promoting active labour market policies, education and training, upskilling and re-skilling, skills recognition and skills certification
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Addressing the undervaluation of care work by raising public awareness
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Addressing the unequal gender distribution of paid and unpaid work, and promoting women’s economic inclusion and autonomy beyond caregiving
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Create an enabling and conducive environment for sustainable enterprises and SSE entities
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Invest in and make available high-quality, affordable, adequate and accessible care services, including childcare, health care and long-term care
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Ensure measures consider culturally appropriate services and workforce considerations for indigenous and tribal peoples
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and SSE entities that deliver quality care services
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Collecting and disseminating data on unpaid and paid care work
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Unpaid carers (workers or persons with care responsibilities, parents, other family members, etc.)
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Paid care workers (nurses, domestic workers, teachers, childcare workers, personal assistants, etc.)
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Care recipients (children, older persons, persons with disabilities, etc.)
II-9 Geographical scope
Urban and rural
III-1 In a short paragraph, summarize the main results and impacts obtained
The National Care System (SNC) is built in a participatory manner, prioritizing community care work and outreach to remote territories. Under an intersectional conceptual framework, its governance articulates the national and territorial government and civil society, connecting national initiatives with 28 systems in development plans, 19 in administrative acts and 12 consolidated territorial systems.The National Council for Economic and Social Policy - CONPES 4143 (2025) integrates 133 actions from 15 ministries and 34 entities, with a budget of COP$ 25.6 trillion (approx. US$ 6.93 billion). The basket of services includes well-being, training and income generation, directly strengthening community care organizations (SSEs) through endowment, inputs and entrepreneurship routes.Specific priorities were addressed: formalization of 2,000 community mothers (pensions, housing, qualifications); recognition of midwifery and its organizations; and support for caregivers of people with disabilities through occupational profiles and citizen income. The National Survey of Time Use was extended to migrants and regions such as Orinoquía and Amazonia.Finally, care communities throughout the country were strengthened, including the two ILO pilots in Cesar and Chocó. This structure guarantees that caring and being cared for are effective rights, reaching directly to the territories through initiatives such as midwifery houses and the territorial care network.
III-2 Explanation of the innovative element of the initiative for advancing decent work in the care economy
The construction of the National Care System in Colombia is based on a participatory and territorial process, with prior consultation with indigenous communities that guarantees a real intersectional approach. Its main innovation lies in the strategic articulation between national policy and territorial development plans, ensuring that resources and actions reach community organizations directly.A distinctive element is the active participation of trade unions and workers' centres, such as the Union of Community Mothers and the Union of Domestic Service Workers, in the design and political impact of key initiatives. Her role has been fundamental in guaranteeing the sustainability of public care policy, the defense of labor rights and the formalization of care workers with decent work.The care pilots, especially those of the ILO in Cesar and Chocó, functioned as policy laboratories that defined guidelines in training, staffing and social protection, which were later scaled up at the national level. This participatory methodology positions Colombia as a regional benchmark in care systems, after Uruguay, integrating a multi-ethnic and intercultural component.The policy also incorporates co-responsibility as a cross-cutting axis, distributing care obligations between the State, the private sector, communities and families, making a cultural change for equitable redistribution between men and women. In short, it is not just a matter of offering services, but of a cultural transformation that recognizes plural knowledge, validates care as a fundamental right and guarantees the sovereignty of time for caregivers, strengthening participatory democracy and social justice in all territories.
IV-1 What were the main challenges or difficulties during the design and implementation? How were they faced/ addressed?
The armed conflict in Colombia is one of the main challenges that the initiative encounters to reach the territory effectively.The process to formalize care workers is slow and has a high cost for the government.The cultural change where care is also a men's issue is a great challenge to redistribute care burdens, especially within families.
IV-2 Lessons learned and good practices, including room and opportunities for improvement
It is key to think about issues of financial inclusion, economic autonomy and livelihoods to improve the conditions of caregivers, which in turn will also improve the quality of care received by people who require it.It is not enough to deliver inputs, technical strengthening must be given to organizations that allow them to improve their skills.
IV-3 Key conditions for success
Build the National Care System by listening directly to caregivers and those who receive care, and design public policy based on this process.To support Argentina in the process of the advisory opinion with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR Court), in its Advisory Opinion OC-31/25, which recognized the autonomous human right to care, establishing it as a basic and inescapable need for human dignity. This right obliges States to implement policies that guarantee three dimensions: the right to receive care, to care and to self-care, promoting social and gender co-responsibility
IV-4 Key conditions for sustainability
It is very important to be able to allocate resources, which guarantee the sustainability of public policy over time.Achieving legislation that lasts over time despite changes in government is key.Ensure that the care agenda is a priority for workers' organizations, especially the central ones, where the strengthening of various care unions must be promoted: domestic workers, community mothers, nurses, etc.
IV-5 Potential for transferability, expansion and replicability in other countries and contexts
Colombia is a benchmark in the construction of Care Systems in the region, in the first place, it has built a care system that has taken into account the voice of the territories and community care, and has, additionally, several district experiences that are articulated as the blocks of care or district systems that join the national efforts and manage to reach more effectively the territorial care organizations and community.
V-1 Sources of information and documents used on the characteristics of the initiative, including links to websites, news items, toolkits, policy documents or reports
CONPES Document 4143Colombia takes a historic step: CONPES approved for the National Care PolicyThe Inter-American Court recognizes the existence of an autonomous human right to care