Tripartite Advisory Committee of ILO initiative holds inaugural meeting in Yerevan
The first meeting of the Advisory Committee brought together Government, employers’ and workers’ representatives to support Armenia’s response to informality in the context of a refugee crisis.
10 April 2025
YEREVAN (ILO News) – The first Advisory Committee (AC) meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) initiative titled “Building the capacity of constituents to pre-empt the informalisation of work and promote the transition to formality in the context of a refugee crisis” took place on 8 April 2025, bringing together Armenia’s key tripartite constituents.
The meeting convened representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MLSA), the Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia (CTUA), and the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia (RUEA), who form the newly established tripartite Advisory Committee guiding the implementation of the ILO initiative. It marked an important step in supporting the sustainable integration of vulnerable groups, particularly ethnic Armenian refugees․
ILO National Coordinator Nune Hovhannisyan kicked off the meeting by outlining the Committee’s purpose and emphasizing the vital role of tripartite dialogue in the success of the initiative. She underscored that the active engagement of government, employers and workers' organizations is essential for achieving meaningful and sustainable outcomes.
In his opening remarks, the Chair of the Advisory Committee — Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ruben Sargsyan — emphasized the importance of tackling informality and underscored the collaborative spirit of the tripartite mechanism. He also recognized the ILO’s timely and effective support in mobilizing resources, which came in direct response to the Government’s request during the refugee crisis. This, he noted, paved the path for launching the current initiative aimed at supporting Armenia’s sustainable recovery, as discussed during the visit of ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo to Armenia in December 2023.
Elen Manaseryan, President of the CTUA, and Lilit Adamyan, CEO of the RUEA, reaffirmed their commitment to the initiative and to the ILO, particularly through continued collaboration with the Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV) and the Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP), as well as to the joint efforts involved in implementing the components for which they hold responsibility within the initiative’s framework.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Advisory Committee were presented during the meeting by ILO Senior Employment Specialist Kazutoshi Chatani and adopted unanimously. As the lead of the initiative, Mr. Chatani also emphasized its role in strengthening the capacities of tripartite constituents to effectively address informality. Varduhi Avanesyan, National Project Coordinator, then presented the progress report of the initiative, outlining key activities and developments since its launch.
Launched in September 2024, the ILO initiative aims to enhance the resilience of the Armenian labour market by formalizing employment, strengthening public employment services and protecting labour rights in the informal economy. A core component of the initiative is supporting social dialogue and tripartite cooperation as a vehicle for addressing informality in the country and later come up with policy recommendations on the subject matter.
The ILO reiterated its commitment to working closely with Armenian partners to ensure the effective implementation of the initiative, which is set to run until May 2026.