ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo is in the Republic of Moldova, his first official visit to the region since his election.
Houngbo will hold talks with the Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and the Minister of Labour and Social Protection, Alexei Buzu. Discussions will focus on how the ILO can further support Moldova in lessening the impact of the war in Ukraine on the country, as well as the Director-General's priorities for the coming years.
He will also meet with Igor Zubcu, President of the National Confederation of Trade Unions and with Leonid Cerescu, President of the National Confederation of Employers.
The ILO has a portfolio of technical assistance projects in Moldova, with a total budget of US$3.6 million. They cover job creation and conditions of work, including formalization, occupational safety and health, minimum wages, childcare provision, and vocational training.
The Director-General will be present at the launch of a new collaboration between the ILO and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), covering employment promotion, skills development, formalization and labour market opportunities for vulnerable populations in Moldova, including youth, women and rural communities.
Houngbo will also hold discussions with local UN and development partners about priorities for the upcoming period.
While the development gap between Moldova and the rest of Europe has narrowed, the country still has one of the lowest per capita incomes and gross wages per employee in Eastern Europe.
It faces a range of issues, including an ageing population, continuous emigration and limited structural transformation. An incomplete economic transition and partial governance reforms also affect the country. Moldova has hosted about 675,000 Ukrainian refugees since the war broke out in February 2022.
