OECD Conference

The Conference ''Local Capacities to Promote Employment and Skills'' organized by the OECD and its Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme was held on 09 November 2011 in the premises of the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Role of Local Development in Employment Issues

 The Conference ''Local Capacities to Promote Employment and Skills'' organized by the OECD and its Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme was held on 09 November 2011 in the premises of the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Conference is part of the OECD activities in conducting a study on ''Local Development Capacity Assessment in EU Candidate and Potential Candidate Countries in the Western Balkans''. The objective of the study is to provide practical recommendations to national and local policy makers on how to improve local capacity to: promote employment and skills development, support SME creation and growth, foster social inclusion and design and implement integrated local development strategies. The study surveys Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo under UNSCR 1244, Montenegro and Serbia. 

 

Besides the staff engaged on behalf of the OECD and the Labour and Employment Agency as the host to this event, the Conference was attended by representatives of the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs, BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, RS Ministry of Labour, War Veterans and Disabled Persons' Protection and representatives of entity-level employment services.

The Conference was an opportunity to introduce participants to the methodology of the study and initial findings of the assessment of local capacities to promote employment and skills conducted in the municipalities of Tuzla and Bijeljina.  Following the introduction into the study compilation project, the participants exchanged their opinions and experiences related to employment issues both on the local and higher levels of authority. 

The participants of the Conference agreed that all institutions which were represented in the Conference would help in the study compilation so as to give concrete answers on specific segments of employment issues.  The OECD representatives also promised to produce the study report with draft findings and recommendations to be made available for comments by the end of 2011 and published in 2012. 

One of the Conference conclusions was that a stronger correlation between local economic development and employment issues should be established as municipalities are indeed most interested in employment which generates local development.