OECD Labour and Employment Ministerial Meetings
Since 1976, OECD has generally held the Labour and Employment Ministerial Meetings every 5 years. The September 2009 Meeting took place when the global economic crisis was influencing unemployment worldwide. At that Meeting, an agreement was reached that resources needed to continue to be devoted to employment measures, including ensuring safety-nets for the unemployed and low income people. It was also agreed that early intervention, such as job search assistance, fostering of skill development, and strengthened coordination with school education, was essential for youth. As an outcome of the Meeting, a Final Communiqué (an official statement adopted at a diplomatic conference) was issued.
- Dates: Tuesday, 28 and Wednesday, 29 September 2009
- Venue: Paris, France
- Participants: Mr. Hiroyuki Nagahama, Senior Vice-Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare, and others
- Themes:
Theme 1: The Jobs Crisis: What are the implications for Employment and Social Policy?
Theme 2: Maintaining the Activation Stance during the Crisis
Theme 3: Helping Youth get a firm foothold in the Labour Market - The atmosphere of the Meeting (linked to photo reports )
※ What is the Activation Policy?
It refers to various policies which actively urge people out of work (not only those unemployed but also those who do not seek employment on various grounds) to enter the work-force. OECD considers it important to combine appropriate benefit plans, which incorporates the concept of mutualobligations, and an active labour market policy (a policy that urges the unemployed to return to the labour market through job counseling and vocational training) in a right way.