ILO initiative advances formalization in Armenia

© ILO

© ILO

YEREVAN (ILO News) – Armenia’s tripartite constituents and the International Labour Organization (ILO) marked the completion of a two-year initiative aimed at strengthening national capacity to prevent the informalization of work and promote the transition to formality.

The closing event brought together representatives of the Government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, the United Nations, development partners and other stakeholders to review the project’s achievements and discuss priorities for advancing formalization in Armenia.

Launched in September 2024 with US$600,000 in ILO funding, the initiative was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Welfare, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia (CTUA), the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia (RUEA) and other partners. It strengthened institutional capacity, supported research and evidence generation and contributed to policy dialogue on formalization.

Opening the event, Deputy Minister of Labour and Welfare Roza Babayan, CTUA President Elen Manaseryan and RUEA Executive Director Lilit Adamyan highlighted the importance of continued cooperation and social dialogue among the tripartite constituents in promoting decent work and formal employment.

UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Françoise Jacob highlighted the role of formalization in advancing inclusive and sustainable development, noting its contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth and to broader efforts to promote social justice and leave no one behind.

Frédéric Lapeyre, Director of the ILO Priority Action Programme on Transition to Formality, addressed ways to sustain the results achieved and advance Armenia’s formalization agenda.

The key achievements included:

• nationwide capacity-building for employment specialists of the Unified Social Service
• support to refugees and entrepreneurs
• outreach to informal workers and support for the establishment of the “Yourself” Trade Union of Informal Workers
• research on representation of informal and domestic workers and on the working conditions of digital labour platform workers
• development of tripartite policy recommendations to promote the transition to formality

Representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Welfare, CTUA and RUEA discussed the policy recommendations and priorities for addressing informality in the coming years. The recommendations cover areas including migrant workers, care and domestic work, e-governance, social protection, agriculture and construction, and platform work.

The event concluded with reflections on sustaining the results achieved and continuing tripartite cooperation to support Armenia’s transition to formality, with the policy recommendations providing a roadmap for further work.

The ILO will continue working with its constituents to promote decent work, social justice and sustainable pathways towards formal employment in Armenia.