International Labour Organization and UK Government Assist Labour Market in Montenegro

A new ILO project focused on a comprehensive reform and modernization process within the National Employment Agency, has been presented at the high-level technical meeting organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO), which gathered representatives of the National Employment Agency, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the British Embassy in Montenegro.

The initiative will be implemented with financial support from the United Kingdom, through the Good Governance Fund. 

The overall development goal of the project is to improve the operations of the institutions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to mitigate its negative impact on the world of work. 

A rapid assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on employment and policy responses to the pandemic, organized by the ILO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in June this year, highlighted the importance of strengthening the role of the Employment Agency of Montenegro in facing challenges to the labour market caused by the pandemic.  

Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Kemal Purišić highlighted support is especially important in the growing global socio-economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the importance of joint responses to existing global challenges. 

UK Ambassador Karen Maddocks stated that examples of project support include steps towards digitizing Employment Agency procedures, including registering the unemployed and linking databases of institutions within the system; work on assessments of the future working capacity of persons with disabilities; as well as qualitative analyses of labour market and economic activities, using data from the public and private sectors, as well as from social partners. She added that public administration is an area where the United Kingdom has a wealth of institutional experience. 

Expressing special gratitude to the International Labour Organization for recognizing the need to modernize the services offered by the Agency, but also to the British Embassy in Montenegro and the UK Government for financing the project execution, Director of the Employment Agency Suljo Mustafić said that he believes now is the right time to start implementation in order to face labour market challenges caused by the pandemic. 

The new ILO project will facilitate the implementation of all future projects and thus have an impact on both the swifter economic recovery and further development of the country. A quality reform process will also affirm equality and the realization of fundamental rights at work for all citizens.