Institutional capacity building
A stronger voice for Moldova’s employers in decisions that shape the business environment
The International Labour Organization’s Bureau for Employers’ Activities supported Moldova’s national employers’ organization shape its strategic direction towards 2030, to strengthen employers’ influence as the country advances towards European Union accession.
16 September 2026
CHISINAU, Moldova- (ILO News) -Moldova’s national employers’ organization, National Confederation of Employers of the Republic of Moldova (CNPM) is defining a new strategic direction towards 2030, with the International Labour Organization’s Bureau for Employers’ Activities providing strategic guidance to help turn institutional priorities into greater influence and better representation for employers.
As Moldova advances towards European Union accession, reforms will reshape the environment in which enterprises operate. Employers need a strong representative organization that can anticipate these changes, bring business realities into policy discussions and ensure that the impact of reforms on enterprises and competitiveness is properly understood and taken into account.
Against this backdrop, the National Confederation of Employers of the Republic of Moldova is developing a new Strategic Plan towards 2030 with support from the International Labour Organization’s Bureau for Employers’ Activities, ACT/EMP.
The process goes beyond defining what the organization should do. It focuses on the results it needs to achieve for employers and the institutional changes required to deliver them.
Building on preparatory consultations, the Bureau for Employers’ Activities along with the International Training Center of the ILO (ITC/ILO) worked with the Confederation’s Board on 10 September to examine where the organization stands today, the role it wants to play by 2030 and, crucially, what needs to change to get there.
A central part of this work has been to strenghten the link between the Confederation’s institutional development and its impact for employers. Stronger structures, resources and capacities matter because they enable an employers’ organization to represent its members more effectively, respond to their priorities and exert greater influence in social dialogue and public policy.
The new strategy builds on five independent pillars with Confederation’s core mandate as the collective voice of employers constituting the central pillar. This means representing employers in social dialogue, bringing evidence and enterprise perspectives into policy debates, advocating for an environment in which businesses can grow and compete, and providing relevant value to members.
The other four pillars focus on strengthening the institutional foundations needed to deliver on this mandate more effectively: membership and representativeness, financial sustainability, a strong secretariat, and modern governance.
Progress in these areas should enable the Confederation to understand and represent employers’ priorities more effectively, contribute credible evidence to policy debates, engage earlier in decisions that affect enterprises and sustain its influence over time.
This results-focused approach reflects the strategic role of the International Labour Organization’s Bureau for Employers’ Activities: helping employers’ organizations strengthen the institutional capabilities they need to become more representative, effective and influential actors in their national economies.
For Moldova, that role is particularly relevant as European Union accession creates new demands on employers and their representative institutions. A stronger Confederation can help enterprises understand and anticipate reforms while bringing their experience and concerns into the policy process.
The 10 September discussions brought the Confederation closer to a shared vision for 2030 and helped translate that vision into strategic priorities, realistic targets and concrete actions. Once the Strategic Plan is formally adopted, the Bureau for Employers’ Activities will continue to provide strategic support as the organization moves from planning to implementation and results.
The process was also supported through the International Labour Organization project “Enhance Peace and Prosperity through Women’s Leadership and Inclusion (Women for Peace & Prosperity)”, with financial support from the Government of Switzerland