29 January 2018

Strong employer representation at EU Policy Forum on Development Regional Meeting in Ghent

We are pleased to report that there was a strong employer delegation at the EU Policy Forum on Development (PFD) Regional Meeting in Ghent on 15-16 Jan. 2018, comprising  four employer organisation representatives, from Azerbaijan, Denmark, Malta and Montenegro, as well as a representative of the IOE secretariat.

The two-day event consisted of panel presentations, discussions and audience interaction, kicking off with an introduction to the PFD's main goals, on-going work and relevance, and encouraging further policy dialogue amongst stakeholders.

Of particular interest was the discussion on the EU's commitment to policy coherence for development (PCD) in light of the SDGs as a new, universal approach. The panel and audience shared perspectives and discussed progress towards achieving the goals, a priority that is high on the global employer agenda. Mr Mirza Muleskovic, Head of the Department for International Affairs and Projects at the Montenegrin Employers' Federation was a panellist.

There was recognition that the private sector makes an important contribution to job and growth creation, and the debate explored how the private sector can support development goals and participate in EU initiatives for innovative development financing, with a focus on ensuring that these mechanisms abide by development effectiveness principles.
 
The employer delegation was composed of Mr Joseph Farrugia, Director-General of the Malta Employers' Association; Ms Marie Gad, Senior Policy Adviser, Confederation of Danish Industry, also representing BusinessEurope; Mr Mirza Muleskovic, Head of the International Department, Montenegrin Employers' Federation; Ms Kristina Mammadova, Acting Director, National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers') Organizations of Azerbaijan, and Ms Anetha Awuku, Manager, IOE-EU Projects Manager.

The Global PFD will take place in Brussels on 20-22 March.  IOE members are invited to apply to be part of the employer delegation (spaces are limited) by 5 February.  If you would like to attend, please also let us have any comments you may have on the topics that currently feature on the draft agenda (please download this via the link in the side panel).  A regional PDF for Africa will take place in October 2018; additional information will be available in due course.

Please refer to the links in the side panel for important background information.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Ms Anetha Awuku at the IOE at awuku@ioe-emp.com