The ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team and Country Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (up to April 2010 - ILO Subregional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia) has been based in Moscow since 1959 and coordinates ILO activities in ten countries, including Kazakhstan.
ILO Director-General Mr. Guy Ryder (United Kingdom) took office on 1 October 2012. Mr. Heinz Koller of Germany was appointed as Regional Director of the ILO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia with effect from 1 June 2014.
The Republic of Kazakhstan became a member of the International Labour Organization in 1993. In 2011 the country was elected as a Deputy Member in the ILO Governing Body.
Kazakhstan participates in the annual meetings of the General Conference of the ILO at a high level - in 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2014 the Kazakhstan delegations were headed by the Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population.
Director of the ILO Regional Office has been actively involved in the annual Astana Economic Forum.
The ILO activities in the country focused on the priorities that were determined in the Decent Work Country Program.
Significant contributions were made in the development of the strategic document - the “Concept of the Social Protection in the Republic of Kazakhstan”. To implement it the ILO proposed measures on improving the delivery system of the Targeted Social Assistance (TSA) to the neediest categories of the population. In order to promote the application of the subsistence minimum mechanism in the State social security policy, the ILO is working on the improvement of the SM calculation system. To promote the fundamental principles and rights at work and harmonization of labour legislation with the International standards ILO has assisted in the development of the Labour Law and later on the draft Labour Code of Kazakhstan (adopted in 2007). The ILO continues to provide full support to the development of the social partnership institutions called to ensure the balance between the interests of workers, employers and government. With the ILO’s active involvement in the country the national occupational safety and health system and the labour inspection were modernized. The “ILO-OSH 2001” management system was introduced, including the establishment of safety committees at the enterprises. On the basis of the ILO conventions and EU legislation out comparative analysis of the system of labor protection and labor inspection have been carried out in 2004, 2008 and 2015. The ILO consistently provided advice in the development of Employment Law and employment programs. Comments to the “Concept of Migration Policy” and to the draft law on migration were delivered.
In the country there were implemented and ongoing projects in the areas of social protection, OSH, migration, child labour, social partnership, etc.
Kazakhstan has ratified 24 ILO Conventions, including all fundamental (eight) and governance conventions (four).