Workshop on DWCP Development in Armenia

Prior to the workshop Olga Koulaeva, the ILO DWT/CO Director met with Artem Asatryan, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Armenia. The parties discussed the ILO-Armenia on-going cooperation and the issues of mutual interest.

The objectives of the workshop were three-fold: to review the key results of implementation of the Decent Work agenda in Armenia in 2014-2017; to present to constituents the ILO policy and approach in relation to programming and DWCP development; to agree on the priorities and outcomes of a new DWCP 2018-2020.

The workshop was addressed by Araik Petrosyan, First Deputy Minister, and Olga Koulaeva, Director of the DWT-CO Moscow. In his speech, Araik Petrosyan has mentioned that a tripartite working group was established for DWCP development. While defining the new DWCP priorities and outcomes, the Working Group has taken into account the ILO policies to promote Decent Work agenda, as well as the ILO Director-General’s report on the Future of Work. He also `noted that the newly adopted Constitution of the RA and the recent reforms in the labour sphere have laid the ground for the new DWCP. Promoting sustainable employment, improving labour relations and strengthening social dialogue which are proposed by the constituents as key targets for the new Decent Work Country Programme – are fully in line with the main objectives of a new Programme of the Government for 2017-2022. Olga Koulaeva has stressed that the workshop provided a unique opportunity to define together DWCP priorities and outcomes, contribute to the discussions of the specific technical areas and share valuable ILO experience in tripartism and social dialogue with the Armenian constituents.

After presentations by the Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia (CTUA) and the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia (RUEA) on the role of workers and employers in implementing the DW agenda in Armenia in the last few years, there was a round of interventions by the ILO specialists related to the ILO support to constituents in their respective technical areas.

The following formulations have been agreed upon for the new DWCP:

Priority 1: Improve the mechanisms of regulating labour relations
Priority 2: Improve employment policy and enhance employability of women and men
Priority 3: Strengthen social dialogue and collective bargaining

The draft Programme based on the workshop results will be prepared and sent for the constituents’ consideration by September. The Programme is expected to be signed by the end of 2017.