Results of the third round of peer review of youth employment policies summed up in Sochi

The gathering was attended by the representatives of the ministries of labour and social partners of the Network countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; and representatives of three Russian Federation entities (Republic of Kalmykia, Perm territory and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region). Representatives of the ILO Office in Moscow, the ILO Office in Rome and the ILO International Training Centre in Turin, as well as international experts also took part in the conference.

Despite the fact that the level of youth unemployment in the world has stabilized, it remains significantly higher than the pre-crisis levels. Still unresolved are the problems associated with the arrival in the labour market of young men and women, especially those from among the underprivileged class. Many young people are forced to accept jobs where their rights are not respected, or where no security exist. Low pay, prolonged periods of unemployment or part-time employment is a reality faced by many young people.

The issues of promoting youth employment are still very relevant for the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, international organizations, the G20 countries, the BRICS countries and others. This is evidenced, in particular, by the adoption by the UN General Assembly of new Sustainable Development Goals for the period up to 2030, where great attention is paid to employment problems.

Therefore, the ILO project aims to support the governments and social partners in their efforts to identify successful practices and models to promote the employment of young people and create jobs. Under the project, the ILO Office in Moscow supports the mechanism of peer expert assessment of the situation in the field of youth employment in nine countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia – the project whereby the participating countries review and assess each other's policies in the field of youth employment. Such expert assessment helps them share their experience and promote cooperation.


At the opening of the conference in Sochi, I.V. Melkikh, head of the Department for Labour and Employment of Krasnodar Territory, presented an overview of the socio-economic situation in the region and cited examples of successful experience in the promotion of youth employment and the provision of access for people with disabilities to the labour market. Those instances of successful experience were then clearly illustrated during a visit by the participants in the conference to Sochi municipal employment centre.

The participants in the conference discussed the valuable experience of Azerbaijan in the field of youth employment, whose detailed analysis by colleagues from Russia and Kazakhstan had been presented as part of the third round of peer review, which took place in Baku in the first half of September. They also developed a set of policy recommendations, which will be considered by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The participants also discussed the guidelines for conducting peer reviews – the document which is currently being prepared within the International Labour Organization. The guide would be useful to all countries which may consider to engage in similar peer review projects. Finally, in order to strengthen the capacity of ministries of labour and employment, public employment services and social partners, several academic and practical sessions were held on labour market analysis and review of policies affecting youth employment. The results of those sessions, as well as the examples of good practice in the area of youth employment, will be included in the above mentioned guide on conducting peer reviews.

The summary outcome of the conference in Sochi will be used for the preparation and conduct of the next round of peer review in the area of youth employment, which should be held next in spring of 2016. The outcome of the Sochi meeting will also assist the countries in the subregion in the implementation of innovative measures in the labour market.

Said the participants in the Sochi meeting:

Anar Badalbeyli, head of Azerbaijan’s State Employment Service: "We are grateful to the ILO Moscow office for the assistance provided to us in conducting pilot programmes in the field of youth employment. The ILO programmes enable our organization to expand the range of services we provide to the young people. They will also contribute to the promotion of self-employment among the young people."

Gianni Rosas, Director of the ILO Office for Italy and San Marino and Youth Employment Coordinator for Europe: “Peer review mechanism is a way to share the knowledge and best experiences across countries. This specific case – the regional network of nine countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States – is a good way to put together expertise and to exchange information, and this is a good way to establish collaborative relationships between the countries that belong to the same region.”

Najat Kadyrov, Executive Director of the Confederation of Employers of Kazakhstan: “Kazakhstan has a relatively young population, and we see this as our advantage. The government realizes the importance of having economically and socially strong, mature and motivated young people to the future of the country. That is why the Ministry of Labour, in cooperation with the social partners and with the help from the ILO, has prepared a plan of action on youth employment for the period up to 2020. We hope that in this way we can keep our youth employment rate at 95 per cent or above.”

Natalia Severova, Agency for Employment of Perm Territory: "The very format of the project suggests a positive impact on the policies of the participating countries. Its members have a unique opportunity to learn the best practices that the renown international experts bring in. The project that the ILO's Moscow offered us to implement is very important for us. This is a programme of subsidized youth employment and pilot projects for establishing partnerships in this area. The implementation of these programmes, and the financial support that goes with it, do help the participating regions to develop new strategies and tactics to enhance youth employment."