Europe and Central Asia

The countries in Europea and Central Asia, irrespective of their common communist past, continue to form a diverse group. In particular, progress towards democracy and free market systems has remained uneven in the region. While most countries have  experienced moderate economic growth in recent years, much of this has been wiped out by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

ACT/EMP field specialists, located in Budapest and Moscow, are working to strengthen the capacity of Employer and Business Membership Organizations (EBMOs) in the region. In this regard, significant focus has been placed on strengthening governance, strategic planning, service delivery and policy advocacy by EBMOs. While in the Budapest sub-region ACT/EMP has supported EBMOs in the setting up of legal (training) services and the improvement of research-based advocacy  for a more conducive business environment, capacity-building for EBMOs in the Moscow sub-region has focused on strategic planning, membership expansion, as well as policy work and related services in the field of OSH, skills and education.

Against the background of the COVID-19 crisis, ACT/EMP assistance in the region has been adjusted to help EBMOs stay operational and shift to a digital mode of service delivery and advocacy. In particular, ACT/EMP has assisted EBMOs in making electronic enterprise surveys and in providing COVID-19-related guidance to members, such as on business continuity, teleworking, OSH in the work-place, and managing the return back to work.