Regional Cooperation on Social Development in SEE

1. Regional Cooperation on Social Development in SEE Nand Shani Expert on Economic and Social Development Nand.shani@rcc.int

2. Social Development • RCC priority: mainstream social development into economic reform deliberations • Major areas: • Labor and Employment Policy • Ministries of Labor and Social Policies, Center of Public Employment Services of SEE Countries • Social Dialogue • SEE Trade Union Forum • Adriatic Region Employers’ Center • Public Health • SEE Health Network

3. What Is It? • Bucharest Employment Process • Ministers of labor/heads of employment agencies committedto regional cooperation on employment • Country reviews of employment policy conducted with help of CoE and ILO • Regular meetings of high level officials (Employment Network) to monitor and supervise implementation of Bucharest Process • 2009 meeting (topics: labor migration, ALMPs, Labor rights, LM IS, crisis response) • Social Dialogue • Participation of social partners in meetings of the Employment Network • 2009 regional social dialogue conference - support for bipartite and tripartite social dialogue at the regional level and assistance from international partners • SEE Health Network • 21 leading international experts + > 100 health policy makers and technical experts from SEE • Supervises activities of regional public health projects led by countries • Serves as regional cooperation forum • Electronic SEE Initiative – inclusive information society • Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group - inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development

4. The Bucharest Process: Political commitment • The Ministers in charge of employment and social policies agreed during three regional ministerial events on the importance of addressing employment challenges facing SEE countries and to: • Tackle employment problems collectively (First Ministerial Conference, Bucharest 2003) with the support and guidance of the ILO and CoE. • Improve the effectiveness of Public Employment Services, foster social dialogue and work on occupational health and safety issues (Second Ministerial Conference, Sofia 2005). • Further regional cooperation on employment and social policy with the support of the Regional Cooperation Council and EC, ILO and CoE (Third Ministerial Conference, Budva 2007).

5. The Bucharest Process • Achievements • Developeda regionalcooperationmechanism on employmentpolicy and network of Balkan PES • Country reviews of employmentpolicies • Peer reviews of employmentpoliciesconducted by participating countries and discussedatregional meetings • Fosteredtripartite dialogue, genderequalityconcerns and profiles on occupationalsafetyand health • Challenges • Prioritizeemploymentpolicyatboth national and regionallevels • Employmentgeneration to be a key goal of othereconomic and social policies • Strengthencapacity to design, monitor and evaluateemploymentpolicies • Mobilization of human and financialresources to continue regionalwork.

6. Social Partnership • South East European Trade Union Forum (SEETUF)was established in 1999, under the auspices of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). Its purpose was to engage in the efforts of the Stability Pact for South East Europe and to promote the social dimension of ongoing economic reforms in the region. • Adriatic Region Employers’ Centre (AREC)was created under the auspices of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) in 2008. It aims to promote cooperation and exchange of knowledge between partners in the region.

7. SEE Health Network – Political Committment Dubrovnik Pledge, 2001 • Stressing the importance of peace and stability • Regional Collaboration; Public Health priority areas (regional projects) of common concern Skopje Pledge, 2005 • Stressing the importance of investing in health/economic development • Reinforcing the regional collaboration on Public Health priority areas • Achieving and sustaining Regional Ownership Banja Luka, 2011 • Health in all policies

8. Albania Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases France, Greece, WHO Bosnia and Herzegovinia Enhancing Social Cohesion by Strengthening Community Mental Health Services Belgium, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, WHO Bulgaria Information for Community Mental Health Services Greece, OSI, GI, WHO Croatia Institutional Capacities of Public Health systems for Strengthened Tobacco Control Norway, WHO Romania Blood and Blood products Switzerland, Slovenia, CoE, WHO Improving Maternal and Neonatal Health in SEE Institutional Capacity and Intersectorial Collaboration for Access to Safe Food Products Belgium,Greece, Italy, Switzerland, WHO Norway, WHO Moldova Serbia WHO Macedonia Strengthening Public Health Services in SEE THE ONGOING PROJECTS Health Policy and Technical Advice WHO – COE Leading Country Partners/Donors

9. SEE Health Network (present and future) • Memorandum of Understanding on the future of regional cooperation and establishment of secretariat • Process of transforming of Projects into long term programs started (Regional Development Centers) • VISIONfor the future of SEEHN and the regional cooperation in public health • to further strengthen health system reforms • to widen the pool of experts and promote them • to contribute to the economic development of the region

10. Regional social development from the RCC perspective • RCC is uniquely positioned to provide, in an integrated approach, a platform for regional cooperation in social development, where governments, social partners, civil society representatives, regional initiatives and international organizations can contribute to establishing and implementing a long-term vision for social development - Develop a regional social agenda with clear policy priorities and policy targets • RCC and FES to organize a series of regional thematic workshops on specific social policies that will be agreed with participants • Use the open method of coordination for concerted strategic and political cooperation based on agreed common objectives and indicators

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