INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE SKILLS DIMENSION OF THE EU S GLOBAL APPROACH TO MIGRATION AND MOBILITY (GAMM) 4-5 November 2013 Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, Rose Revolution Square 1 Tbilisi, Georgia Background This conference is organised by the ETF under the framework of the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council (July-December 2013) and in cooperation with the Targeted Initiative Georgia (TIG). The conference aims at the dissemination of results and of lessons learnt by the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Armenia in the implementation of the Mobility Partnership with a particular focus on the link between skills development and migration. Part of the conference will thus be dedicated to working group discussions on the types of migrant support measures and their effect, in particular on the preparatory actions for potential migrants, validation of skills acquired by migrants and support to returning migrants. The participants will discuss and review the state of progress of the Mobility Partnership, as part of the Framework of the Global approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) 1 from skills policy dimension point of view in the three countries and identify options for future mutual co-operation in this field. Migration is no longer separate from the national skills development policies which should be integrated in the MP implementation. The ETF has been promoting exchange of experiences and lessons learnt among the three countries, which signed MP agreements with the EU through the organisation of a series of conferences on the skills dimension of migration. Recent ETF migration and skills surveys in Armenia, Georgia and Morocco not only provided evidence on the specific skill profile of migrants and how those skills are underutilised abroad and upon return, but also indicated the need for specific policy measures to support migrants for more efficient job and skills-matching process. 2 The survey results underline that skills assessment and validation have an important role to play for both potential and retuning migrants and it is therefore important for sending countries to set up a system that may facilitate the process. In the last years the three countries have registered progress in migration management, and in implementing the activities under the respective MP agreements with the EU. Moreover the three countries recognise the benefits of policies and tools that enhance transparency and portability of qualifications, taking advantage of the experience from relevant EU policies, in particular the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning, and 1 EC Communication on the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM), COM (2011)743, Brussels 18.11.2011 2 See Armenia country migration report: http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/migration_and_skills_armenia Georgia country migration report: http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/migration_and_skills_georgia Migration et compétences au Maroc: www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/migration_and_skills_morocco Comparative migration report - Armenia and Georgia: http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/migration_and_skills_armenia_and_georgia
developments in validation of non-formal and informal learning. All involved countries initiated policy initiatives in these areas. The Republic of Moldova has been the first country which signed an MP agreement with the EU in 2008, and hence with the longest experience in this cooperation with EU. A recent evaluation of the EU-Moldova MP pointed that this first MP initiative was a case of good practice with considerable success on migration cooperation, not only between the EU and the Republic of Moldova but also between the different Moldovan institutions involved in the field, underlining the importance of visa facilitation for legal and circular migration and highlighting the positive role played by all the parties involved. Georgia undertook deciding steps in preventing irregular migration and human trafficking. In 2009 Georgia signed the MP agreement with the EU,, coordinated by the State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. The Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreement between the EU and Georgia entered into force on 1 st March 2011. The EU project (Targeted Initiative for Georgia) has contributed to development of migration policy, notably to drafting of the Migration Strategy of Georgia (2013-2015). The State Commission on Migration Issues (SCMI) was established in 2010 with the task of coordinated action of all institutions involved in the migration management. Chaired by the Ministry of Justice and with 12 members in the Commission, the SCMI steered the process of approval of the Migration Strategy by the Government in March 2013. In June 2013, SCMI adopted the Action Plan for the Migration Strategy of Georgia. Since 2013 the newly established Department of Labour and Employment Policy (Ministry of Labour Health and Social Affairs) has a division of Labour Migration. The MP has been signed between the EU and Armenia on 27 October 2011. The State Migration Service has been established in 2009 under the Ministry of Territorial Administration with the task of co-ordinating migration functions in terms of drafting policies and legal acts and monitoring their implementation. The Policy concept for the state regulation of migration and action plan 2012 2016 has been approved by the Government in 2012. The EU project for Targeted Initiative for Armenia started in January 2013 and it covers many actions aimed at improving institutional management capacities to promote legal migration, labour mobility, effective prevention and control of illegal migration and return opportunities. The Visa facilitation and Readmission Agreements between the EU and Armenia have been signed on 19 December 2012 and 19 April 2013 respectively. 2
First day: 4 November 2013, Monday 09:00 Registration of participants 09:15 10:00 Chair: Ms Madlen Serban, ETF Director Welcome and introduction Mr Kakhaber Sakandelidze, Deputy Minister of Labour Health and Social Affairs Ms Keti Gomelauri, Deputy Chairman of the Public Service Development Agency Ambassador Philip Dimitrov, Head of the EU Delegation Mr Saulis Zybartas, Ministry of Education and Science, Lithuania Ms Bela Hejna, Project Director, Targeted Initiative for Georgia (TIG) Ms Madlen Serban, ETF Director 10:00 10:30 Approach to migration in Georgia: from policy framework to implementation of the MP Mr Tornike Nozadze, Office of the State Minister of Georgia for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration 10:30 11:00 Lessons learnt from ETF Cross-country study on skills and migration 11:00 11:30 Coffee break Ms Ummuhan Bardak, ETF expert 11:30 12:00 Progress in the implementation of MP in Moldova in relation to skills Ms Valentina Ungureanu, Expert, Ministry Labour, Social Protection and Family, Republic of Moldova Mr Vladimir Lungu, Project Co-ordinator, Targeted Initiative for Moldova (TIM) 12.00 12:30 Progress in the implementation of MP in Georgia in relation to skills Mr David Okropiridze, Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Policy Ms Bela Hejna, Project Director, Targeted Initiative for Georgia (TIG) 12:30 13:00 Progress in the implementation of MP in Armenia in relation to skills 13:00-14:00 Lunch Ms Ani Mnatsakanyan, Expert in the Ulisses Division, International Centre for Human Development Ms Virginie Artot, Director, EU Project Targeted Initiative for Armenia (TIA) 3
14:00 16:00 Parallel working groups: 1. Preparatory actions for potential migrants Facilitator: Ms Siria Taurelli, ETF Case study from Moldova: Ms Lilia Plugaru, Head of the Employment Abroad Section, National Employment Agency Personal experience from migration: Ms Maia Tsereteli 2. Validation of skills Facilitator: Ms Anna Kahlson, ETF Case study from Armenia: Mr Vahagn Hovhannisyan, Head of Business Educational Programmes, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Personal experience from migration: Ms Tina Kuchukhidze 3. Support to returning migrants Facilitator: Ms Eduarda Castel Branco, ETF Case study from Georgia: Mr Marc HULST - Programme Coordinator, IOM Mission to Georgia Personal experience from migration 16:00 16:45 Coffee served during the working groups Reporting back from working groups 3 rapporteurs (tbc) Facilitated by Ms Eduarda Castel Branco, ETF expert 16:45 17:00 Conclusions of the day Ms Eduarda Castel Branco, ETF expert 19.00 Official Dinner 4
Second day: 5 November 2013, Tuesday 9:30 09:45 Introduction to the content of the day Ms Siria Taurelli, ETF 09:45 11:00 Panel session The experience by EU Member States and donors in the implementation of the Mobility Partnership (MP) agreements: 1) German Development Co-operation Project: Targeted Circular Migration and Diaspora Mobilization Ms Anna Goos, Migration Expert, Secretariat of the State Commission on Migration Issues, Ministry of Justice (Georgia) 2) Circular migration scheme: the experience from Poland Mr Piotr Sadowski, Project Leader, Ministry of Interior (Poland) 3) Swedish experience in migration in Georgia Mr Martin Rosén, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden to Georgia 11:00 11:15 Facilitated by Ms Siria Taurelli, ETF expert ETF s future perspectives on migration and skills Ms Ummuhan Bardak, ETF 11:15-11:30 Coffee break 11:30 12:30 Panel session 12:30-13:30 Conclusions 13:30 14:30 Lunch 14:30 17:00 Future skills agenda of the partner countries in relation to the Mobility Partnerships: representatives from Moldova, Georgia and Armenia Ms Arpi Aloyan, Expert, Supplementary and Continuing Education Division Ministry of Education and Science - Armenia Ms Violeta Mija, Director, Republican Centre for VET Development - Moldova Mr Tamar Kitiashvili, Deputy Head, VET Department, Ministry of Education and Science Georgia Facilitated by Ms Madlen Serban, ETF Director Mr Saulis Zybartas, Ministry of Education and Science, Lithuania Mr Tornike Nozadze, Office of the State Minister of Georgia for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ms Madlen Serban, ETF Director Site visit to Mscheta, Jvari and the Treasure/ Golden fund at the Janashia museum 5