Regional Cooperation
on Social Development
in SEE
Nand Shani
Expert on Economic and Social Development
Nand.shani@rcc.int
Social Development
RCC priority: mainstream social development into
economic reform deliberations
• Major areas:
• Labor and Employment Policy
• Ministries of Labor and Social Policies, Center of
Public Employment Services of SEE Countries
• Social Dialogue
•SEE Trade Union Forum
•Adriatic Region Employers’ Center
• Public Health
•SEE Health Network
What Is It?
Bucharest Employment Process
• Ministers of labor/heads of employment agencies committed to regional cooperation on
employment
• Country reviews of employment policy conducted with help of CoE and ILO
• Regular meetings of high level officials (Employment Network) to monitor and supervise
implementation of Bucharest Process
• 2009 meeting (topics: labor migration, ALMPs, Labor rights, LM IS, crisis response)
Social Dialogue
• Participation of social partners in meetings of the Employment Network
• 2009 regional social dialogue conference - support for bipartite and tripartite social dialogue
at the regional level and assistance from international partners
SEE Health Network
• 21 leading international experts + > 100 health policy makers and technical experts from SEE
• Supervises activities of regional public health projects led by countries
• Serves as regional cooperation forum
Electronic SEE Initiative – inclusive information society
Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group - inclusive and sustainable
agricultural and rural development
The Bucharest Process: Political commitment
The Ministers in charge of employment and social policies agreed during three
regional ministerial events on the importance of addressing employment challenges
facing SEE countries and to:
Tackle employment problems collectively (First Ministerial Conference, Bucharest
2003) with the support and guidance of the ILO and CoE.
Improve the effectiveness of Public Employment Services, foster social dialogue
and work on occupational health and safety issues (Second Ministerial Conference,
Sofia 2005).
Further regional cooperation on employment and social policy with the support of
the Regional Cooperation Council and EC, ILO and CoE (Third Ministerial
Conference, Budva 2007).
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The Bucharest Process
Achievements
Developed a regional cooperation mechanism on employment policy and
network of Balkan PES
Country reviews of employment policies
Peer reviews of employment policies conducted by participating countries and
discussed at regional meetings
Fostered tripartite dialogue, gender equality concerns and profiles on
occupational safety and health
Challenges
Prioritize employment policy at both national and regional levels
Employment generation to be a key goal of other economic and social policies
Strengthen capacity to design, monitor and evaluate employment policies
Mobilization of human and financial resources to continue regional work.
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Social Partnership
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South East European Trade Union Forum (SEETUF) was established
in 1999, under the auspices of the European Trade Union
Confederation (ETUC). Its purpose was to engage in the efforts of
the Stability Pact for South East Europe and to promote the social
dimension of ongoing economic reforms in the region.
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Adriatic Region Employers’ Centre (AREC) was created under the
auspices of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) in 2008.
It aims to promote cooperation and exchange of knowledge between
partners in the region.
SEE Health Network – Political Committment
Dubrovnik Pledge, 2001
 Stressing the importance of peace and stability
 Regional Collaboration; Public Health priority areas (regional
projects) of common concern
Skopje Pledge, 2005
 Stressing the importance of investing in health/economic
development
 Reinforcing the regional collaboration on Public Health priority
areas
 Achieving and sustaining Regional Ownership
Banja Luka, 2011
 Health in all policies
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THE ONGOING PROJECTS
Leading
Country
Albania
Bosnia and
Herzegovinia
Health Policy and Technical Advice
WHO – COE
Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases
Enhancing Social Cohesion by Strengthening
Community Mental Health Services
Partners/Donors
France, Greece,
WHO
Belgium, Greece,
Hungary, Italy,
Slovenia, WHO
Bulgaria
Information for Community Mental
Health Services
Greece, OSI, GI,
WHO
Croatia
Institutional Capacities of Public Health
systems for Strengthened Tobacco Control
Norway, WHO
Blood and Blood products
Switzerland, Slovenia,
CoE, WHO
Serbia
Institutional Capacity and Intersectorial
Collaboration for Access to Safe Food Products
Belgium,Greece,
Italy, Switzerland, WHO
Moldova
Improving Maternal and Neonatal Health in SEE
Norway, WHO
Strengthening Public Health Services in SEE
WHO
Romania
Macedonia
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SEE Health Network (present and future)
Memorandum of Understanding on the future of
regional cooperation and establishment of secretariat
Process of transforming of Projects into long term
programs started (Regional Development Centers)
VISION
for the future of SEEHN and the regional
cooperation in public health
• to further strengthen health system reforms
• to widen the pool of experts and promote them
• to contribute to the economic development of the
region
Regional social development from the RCC perspective
• RCC is uniquely positioned to provide, in an integrated
approach, a platform for regional cooperation in social
development, where governments, social partners, civil
society representatives, regional initiatives and
international organizations can contribute to establishing
and implementing a long-term vision for social
development - Develop a regional social agenda with
clear policy priorities and policy targets
• RCC and FES to organize a series of regional thematic
workshops on specific social policies that will be agreed
with participants
• Use the open method of coordination for concerted
strategic and political cooperation based on agreed
common objectives and indicators
THE END