Regional meetings highlight social dialogue is essential for just transitions in Europe and Central Asia

GENEVA/ONLINE (ILO News) – Representatives of governments, workers, and employers’ organizations from more than 22 countries across Europe and Central Asia convened with experts from academia and the United Nations to discuss how to ensure that the digital and green transitions of economies and labour markets are just, inclusive, and grounded in social dialogue.

The two virtual regional meetings, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and facilitated by the ILO International Training Centre (ITCILO) from 30 September to 3 October, underlined that social dialogue is not merely a policy instrument, but a foundation for democratic participation and social consensus at a time of rapid transformation.

The Tripartite Regional Knowledge-Sharing Meeting on Social Dialogue emphasized the importance of strengthening social dialogue mechanisms, underpinned by freedom of association and collective bargaining. As digital innovation reshapes industries and climate action drives structural change, participants underscored the need for robust, adaptable, and resilient dialogue frameworks to help enterprises, workers, and labour markets navigate these ongoing transformations in a fair and inclusive manner.

Social dialogue is crucial for sound and healthy industrial relations, which are an essential prerequisite for economic development and job creation.

Blaise Matthey, IOE European Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia

Participants presented national experiences and good practices illustrating how social dialogue has supported inclusive responses to digitalization and environmental change. Examples included tripartite wage-setting processes in Bulgaria and national coordination for inclusive labour transitions in Uzbekistan. These cases demonstrated how dialogue fosters both adaptability and fairness in managing change.

Social justice and peace can become achievable where and when genuine social dialogue works.

Anton Leppik, ITUC PERC Executive Secretary

Speakers also called for strengthened institutional capacities, broader participation, and enhanced cross-country learning to ensure that social dialogue remains a cornerstone of equitable and sustainable transitions.

The Regional Meeting on Integrating Just Transition Policies in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through Social Dialogue focused on embedding just transition principles into national climate strategies. The discussions took stock of developments from COP29 in Baku and looked ahead to COP30 in Belém, emphasizing the potential of regional South–South and triangular cooperation.

Participants underscored that achieving a just transition is a shared responsibility requiring active involvement from governments, workers, employers, and society at large. Social dialogue was recognized as vital to protecting vulnerable groups and ensuring that the voices of workers and communities most affected by climate change are heard.

The meeting further emphasized that productivity, environmental sustainability, and decent work must go hand in hand. Investing in skills and reskilling for green jobs, and supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), were identified as essential measures for advancing just and inclusive transitions. Tripartite constituents from Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia also presented national employment diagnostics developed with the support of GIZ.

These regional knowledge-sharing meetings provided an essential platform for tripartite constituents to exchange experiences and identify practical solutions to ensure socially just transitions rooted in social dialogue.

Beate Andrees, ILO Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia