The Conference brings together international, national and provincial level policy makers, employment and training services as well as practitioners from 15 countries worldwide to share experiences and develop effective ways to connect policy approaches on employment and skills development with local economic development. The Conference also highlights emerging good practices and challenges and facilitates the adaptation of local policy responses to the global economic crisis.

At the end of the Conference, the participants are expected to develop a set of documented cases of local policy responses and a set of key recommendations to national and local policy markers. The recommendations are going to be used as inputs to the bi-annual ILO Asian Regional Meeting of Labour Ministries, Employers’ and Workers’ Organizations in 2010 and will be reported on the 56th session of the OECD LEED Directing Committee in 2010.

Around 80 participants from 15 countries will attend the Conference. The participating countries, among others, include Pakistan, Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Philippines, Australia and Indonesia.