Global Jobs Pact and Employment Promotion in the Western Balkans

1. Global Jobs Pact and Employment Promotion in the Western Balkans Alena Nesporova Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia International Labour Office, Geneva

2. ILO Decent Work Agenda • The ILO DWA - an integrated approach to pursue the objectives of full and productive employment and decent work for all. • It is based on four interrelated and mutually supportive strategic objectives: (i) employment promotion, (ii) social protection, (iii) social dialogue and tripartism, and (iv) respect for fundamental principles and rights at work. • ILO cooperation with the tripartite constituency at country level carried out in the framework of the Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCP). • DWCPs currently implemented in Albania, BiH, FYROM and Serbia, a DWA in Croatia.

3. The ILO Global Jobs Pact • The GJP adopted unanimously in June 2009. Endorsed by the UN Economic and Social Council in July 2010. • The GJP, based on the DWA, provides guidance for national and international policies to address the negative impact of the economic crisis and accelerate employment recovery. • The GJP reprioritized cooperation within DWCPs in line with countries’ needs stemming from the crisis and the current recovery.

4. ILO cooperation with the WB countries • The Western Balkan countries served by the DWT/CO in Budapest, supported by the RO for Europe and Central Asia in Geneva, with technical assistance from technical departments in HQ Geneva. • The ILO provides policy advice and technical assistance to its tripartite constituents – governments and its specialized bodies, employers’ organizations and trade unions – at national and local level but also to regional institutions, like the RCC.

5. ILO cooperation with the WB countries • Technical cooperation often of tripartite nature, supporting social dialogue on legal, institutional and policy issues related to employment promotion and building technical capacity of all the three parties. • In line with the DWA, employment promotion tackled both in quantitative terms (higher employment and job creation) and in qualitative terms (promotion of productive employment with good remuneration, good working conditions, security against risks and in old age, voice for workers, and non-discrimination against certain groups) .

6. ILO cooperation with the WB countries • The “Bucharest Process” within the Initiative for Social Cohesion of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe (the predecessor of the RCC) implemented jointly by the ILO and the Council of Europe in close cooperation with the WB countries resulted in: • 7 Country Reviews on Employment Policy; • Stronger capacity of the governments and the social partners to assess national employment and labour market policies built through regular peer reviews; • Closer involvement of social partners in the employment policy formulation, implementation and monitoring;

7. ILO cooperation with the WB countries • Mainstreaming gender issues in employment policy and employment services • Addressing the issue of occupational safety and health at regional level • Conclusions from the 3rd Ministerial Conference held in Budva in October 2007 outlined further direction and the main elements of regional cooperation on employment promotion.

8. Priorities of current ILO cooperation with WB countries: • Employment policy: Formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national/regional employment strategies/policies (BiH). Youth employment promotion (Albania, Serbia). Review of anti-crisis and pro-recovery policies through social dialogue (Croatia, FYROM, Serbia)

9. Priorities of current ILO cooperation with WB countries • Vocational education and training: Skills needs’ forecasting, assistance in VET reforms to link VET with labour market needs, developing of standardized national assessment frameworks (FYROM). • National employment services: capacity buildingand technical assistance (Albania, Serbia). • Labour market policies: Advice on labour market policies for vulnerable groups, evaluation of LMP (Serbia).

10. Priorities of current ILO cooperation with WB countries: • Local economic and employment development and promotion of entrepreneurship: Support to local partnerships and development plans, addressing the social impact of enterprise restructuring, support to SME development (Albania, BiH, Croatia, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia). • Social security: advice on social security and pension reforms, capacity building (Albania, BiH, FYROM, Serbia).

11. Priorities of current ILO cooperation with WB countries: • Occupational safety and health and labour inspection: support to national OSH systems and policies, capacity building of national labour inspections (Albania, BiH, FYROM, Serbia). • Working conditions: advice and capacity building on wage policy, advice on maternity protection (FYROM). • Gender equality: Advice and capacity building on policies promoting gender equality in employment, wages etc. (Albania, FYROM, Serbia)

12. Priorities of current ILO cooperation with WB countries: • Labour standards, labour legislation: assistance in ratification and implementation of international labour standards, advice on national labour legislation (Albania, Croatia, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia) • Social dialogue: legal advice on and technical assistance to national social dialogue mechanisms, capacity building of the social partners (Albania, BiH, Croatia, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia)