ILC. Nice to meet you!

The management of DECP took advantage of the yearly ILO Conference in Geneva to spend a week meeting partners, friends and other stakeholders. After all, this occasion is the opportunity by far to meet chairmen and executive directors of employers’ organisations, representatives of likeminded organisations and organisations DECP is cooperating with like ITCILO, ACTEMP and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE). This year was a very special one in particular. After all, the ILO was celebrating its 100^th anniversary. But that is not all. Peter Bongaerts, who was appointed director of DECP last January, could meet and get to know in person a lot of people DECP is cooperating with for a long time.

Peter Bongaerts: ‘It was interesting and informative to discuss the cooperation between our organisations in general and topical issues in particular. I found it very satisfying to learn that employers’ organisations appreciate our support and that progress has been made over the years. But we are not finished yet. Together, we are facing many challenges in the field of membership management, social dialogue and skills development, just to mention a few. What strikes me is that most employers’ organisations have a lot of these challenges in common. Although the national and cultural context might be different, we can identify solutions which might work in various countries’.

The main issue of the ILO Conference -‘The Future of Work’- complies perfectly with the focus areas of DECP. Employers and employees need each other to create and even accelerate economic growth. This goes hand in hand with job-creation and reduction of unemployment and poverty. It is the conviction of DECP that strengthening the private sector is the key to achieve this objective. It is the employers’ organisations that make this happen.

Let’s meet again soon!