Ukraine

Three decades of partnership for decent work in Ukraine

Ukraine has been a member of the ILO since 1954 and has continued its membership as an independent state since 1991. The ILO opened its liaison office in Ukraine in 1996; ever since the cooperation with the tripartite constituents in Ukraine has grown into a long-standing partnership supporting the development of Ukraine’s labour market and institutions.

Over these three decades, cooperation has evolved from supporting the development of labour institutions and legislation into a broad portfolio spanning social dialogue, employment and skills, labour and social protection, safer workplaces, gender equality and sustainable enterprises. Over the decades, Ukraine has ratified 72 ILO Conventions: 9 of 10 Fundamental Conventions, all 4 Governance (Priority) Conventions, and 59 of 179 Technical Conventions.

Successive Decent Work Country Programmes have anchored this cooperation in jointly agreed priorities, allowing ILO support to evolve alongside Ukraine’s labour market and reform agenda. Following the full-scale invasion, the partnership adapted rapidly to the new realities facing workers and enterprises.

The Transitional Cooperation Strategy for Ukraine 2024–2025 bridged immediate needs and longer-term recovery, while the opening of the ILO Country Office for Ukraine in Kyiv in 2024 established a permanent presence in the country and brought the ILO closer to its constituents and partners.

7 October 2026, the international decent work day, marks 30 years of this partnership.

Today, this partnership is strengthened further through the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2026–2029, jointly developed and launched with the ILO’s tripartite constituents. The DWCP shapes cooperation around three priorities: strengthening labour market governance and social dialogue; enhancing labour and social protection; and advancing decent jobs, skills development and productive enterprises.

The DWCP is being implemented through a growing development cooperation portfolio financed by multiple development partners.

Email: [email protected]

Phone : +38 067 413 6661

Address
75 Zhylianska Str., PO Box 2
Kyiv
Ukraine
01032

ILO activities in Ukraine are technically supported by the ILO office for Central and Eastern Europe, based in Budapest.