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Friedrich Buttler
ILO Regional Director
for Europe and Central Asia
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Welding course at the Gjakova training centre, ILO Youth Employment Project in Kosovo, financed by Italian Development Cooperation. © ILO, 2006.
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To address the challenges related to the Decent Work Agenda, the ILO and its Turin Centre rely, in the Europe and Central Asia region, on a network of offices and staff under the leadership of the Regional Office which is based in Geneva.
With Claudio Lenoci as our Director, our Rome Office fulfils three functions characteristic of Western European Offices namely: communication and visibility, representation and partnership, and donor support for technical cooperation.
There is no doubt that the ILO has greatly benefited from the continuous support by Italy in the realization of the ILO's four strategic objectives worldwide and in particular in the Balkan countries.
Our Subregional Office in Budapest, led by Petra Ulshoefer, has particular responsibility for the Balkan Countries. The ILO has greatly benefited from the trust forged with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which resulted in major achievements in the subregion in the fields of employment and social dialogue. For example, in 2002, the ILO and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) in Kosovo, in cooperation with the social partners, launched an Italian-funded integrated employment and training project, that included public-private partnerships and cost-sharing arrangements with private enterprises hiring young people who were at risk of social exclusion and with only limited or no work experience. Given the positive result, the MLSW decided to expand the project in order to reach out to a greater number of young people. By 2006, approximately 50,000 people have benefited from the employment and training services provided (see article by Gianni Rosas).
Another employment related project is now being implemented in Albania, which has been selected as a One UN Pilot country and we hope to be able to start a youth employment partnership proposal for Serbia before the end of this year.
Looking towards the future, we hope to engage in an employment-initiative within the Euromed context.
The ILO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
The Regional Office, based at ILO Headquarters in Geneva, maintains overall responsibility for the ILO’s presence and activities in the region. It takes the lead in defining programme priorities and activities, monitoring programme delivery, and providing support and coordination to its field structure.
Under the responsibility of the ILO Subregional Office in Budapest are the Central and Eastern European countries (including Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova). Under the responsibility of the ILO Subregional Office in Moscow are the CIS countries (with the exception of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova). The assistance provided by both Subregional Offices is largely based on technical advisory services, covering both policy and practical issues. The Subregional Offices are also playing a leading role in the implementation of several important technical cooperation projects. The overarching objective of ILO assistance to all these countries is to anchor decent work firmly as a national goal and to contribute to its implementation through the Decent Work Country Programmes.
Under the direct responsibility of the Regional Office are the Western-European countries, including Cyprus, Malta, Israel and Turkey. The ILO has an Office in Brussels for the European Union and the Benelux countries and a network of Offices in Ankara, Berlin, Lisbon, Madrid, Paris and Rome (also covering San Marino and the relations with the Holy See, which has an Observer’s status). The United Kingdom and Ireland are serviced by a Liaison officer.
Within the ILO, the system of National Correspondents is unique to the European region and, in some cases, dates back many years. They function as antennae and ensure that the Office is kept informed of national developments. They play an active role in technical cooperation activities at the national level.
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