Development cooperation

Government of Flanders signs new cooperation agreement with ILO

The agreement sets out the new focus for ILO support from Flanders.

News | 07 March 2016
The Minister-President of the government of Flanders, Geert Bourgeois, and ILO Director-General Guy Ryder, signed a new cooperation agreement, which sets out selected thematic areas for Flanders’ support to the ILO in the years ahead.

Flanders is refocussing its collaboration with the ILO on improving the position of women and young persons in the labour market. A first initiative will target women working in the care sector. The government wants to ensure that the work undertaken by women in this sector, for example caring for children and nursing the elderly in their community, is actually recognised as work.

The Director-General thanked Flanders for its significant support to the ILO. In particular, he highlighted its contribution to the Women@Work Initiative, which will generate innovative evidence-based research and promote large-scale advocacy in favour of decent work for women. « This is the first time an ILO partner provides funding to this Centenary Initiative and the choice of the focus on the care economy is particularly welcome, » he added.

Flanders is a long-standing partner of and donor to the ILO. Over the last 25 years, the government has provided funding of close to USD 30 million to ILO programmes, which have been implemented in many countries, including South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Brazil, India and Central and Eastern Europe.