Helping protect Armenians’ rights together

Background and Scope

Successive administrations in Armenia have implemented reforms that have inadvertently undermined institutions critical to the promotion and enforcement of labour laws. This has resulted in heightened worker vulnerability, a significant informal sector, and limited awareness of the connection between working conditions and productivity. While the current government has taken initial steps to strengthen these institutions, substantial efforts are still required to establish a robust and effective compliance framework.

Project outcomes

The ILO recognizes the critical link between well-functioning labour market institutions—such as labour inspectorates, courts, and workers' and employers' organizations—the protection of labour rights, and the rule of law.

Within the framework of the project, the ILO will provide tailored guidance and tools to strengthen these institutions' capacity by: (1) enhancing their ability to independently deliver on their mandates, (2) improving their collaboration with other institutions of work to achieve shared objectives, and (3) empowering them to effectively influence stakeholders to promote compliance within their respective domains. This targeted approach, with a particular focus on the mining and services sectors, aims to foster greater adherence to national labour laws and advance the principles of decent work.

Strategic compliance

The project seeks to establish a strategic compliance system that moves beyond traditional enforcement methods to a more nuanced and effective compliance framework. This strategic approach involves: (1) employing proactive, targeted, and tailored strategies informed by data-driven analyses of compliance drivers; (2) focusing efforts on priority issues and employers; (3) engaging stakeholders from both governmental and non-governmental sectors; and (4) implementing a combination of deterrents, incentives, awareness-raising, and guidance interventions to empower workers to exercise their rights and encourage employers to fulfill their compliance obligations.

During the initial phase of the project, the construction sector was identified as a high-priority area requiring dedicated attention. This is attributed to its distinct challenges, including high levels of informal employment, fluctuating workforce dynamics, and complex safety regulations, all of which present significant obstacles to achieving full compliance with labour standards and occupational safety requirements.

Sector-specific tools and piloting

The ILO believes that improving the government’s capacity to enforce and promote labour law cannot be effectively achieved by focusing solely on specific sectors. Rather, such improvements must encompass the entire economy. At the same time, the ILO acknowledges the value of developing sector-specific tools to address the unique challenges faced by individual sectors. These tools can then be evaluated to determine whether the lessons learned from their application can be replicated in other sectors or applied more broadly across the economy.

Following consultations with social partners, the ILO has identified the mining, services, and construction sectors as key areas that require tailored tools to address their specific challenges. These sectors not only demand sector-specific interventions but also provide valuable "testing grounds" for identifying effective strategies that may have wider applicability across other sectors and the broader economy.

Specific project outcomes

The project aims to support Armenia in enhancing the government’s capacity to enforce and promote labour rights through the achievement of three interrelated outcomes. Specifically, these outcomes include: 

1. the improvement of systems within relevant government institutions to effectively enforce and promote Armenia’s labour laws and standards; 
2. the enhancement of access to both judicial and non-judicial remedies related to labour laws and standards; and 
3. the active engagement of social partners in promoting compliance and facilitating access to remedies.

These outcomes are designed to work in tandem, strengthening the overall framework for labour rights protection in Armenia.

Following the approval of the cost extension, the project has identified several additional opportunities for expansion to ensure successful and leveraged outcomes. These include the development of a National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) profile, the promotion of ILO Convention No. 190 (C190) and raising awareness of its principles and advocating for a legislative package of amendments to align with International Labour Standards. The project will also address the observations of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR). Furthermore, the project pledges to develop a comprehensive country profile on labour inspection and create an explanatory dictionary of international terminology within the social and labour spheres. These expanded initiatives are designed to build on the initial outcomes and further strengthen labour rights enforcement and awareness in Armenia.

The Project is funded by the United States Department of Labor /USDOL/(Grant No IL-35631-20-75-K).