Ukraine’s Recovery Puts Decent Jobs, Stronger Institutions and Opportunity at Its Heart

Van Rooij also met with UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale, the UN country team and development partners, placing the ILO’s work within the broader discussion about support for Ukraine.

Ukraine's economic recovery depends on people being able to find decent work, businesses having the support to create jobs and institutions being equipped to respond to a changing labour market. The supplied International Labour Organization (ILO) report describes how these needs shaped a visit to Ukraine by Peter van Rooij, the ILO Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, as the country faces the combined pressures of the Russian Federation's aggression, labour shortages and reconstruction.

His meetings with government representatives, employers' and workers' organizations explored how the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2026–2029 can respond to those pressures and support a fair, sustainable recovery.

Bringing Employment Into the Recovery Discussion

Reconstruction brings questions that reach into everyday working life: how people can gain the skills employers need, how businesses can recruit staff and how access to employment can grow across communities affected by the war.

These concerns were central to van Rooij's discussions with the ILO's tripartite constituents- the government, employers' organizations and workers' organizations. Their consultations focused on the challenges reshaping Ukraine's world of work and the areas where ILO support could make the greatest difference.

The meetings offered an opportunity to review progress, identify emerging needs and strengthen the programme's connection to national priorities, giving those involved in its implementation a clearer understanding of what support is needed next.

Stronger Institutions and a Shared Voice

Employment and skills are part of a wider set of priorities that includes stronger labour institutions and social dialogue, giving government, employers and workers a role in shaping responses to the country's labour market challenges.

The discussions connected these priorities to the conditions needed for a fair and sustainable recovery. Creating jobs matters, and the institutions and relationships that support decent work also need attention as reconstruction moves forward.

By bringing the three groups into the same conversation, the consultations helped ground the programme in the needs of people seeking work, businesses managing labour shortages and public bodies responsible for supporting recovery.

Local Partnerships Show What Support Can Deliver

Van Rooij also met with UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale, the UN country team and development partners, placing the ILO's work within the broader discussion about support for Ukraine.

Visits to beneficiaries of ILO-supported initiatives in the Kyiv region brought a community perspective to those meetings. In Irpin, he saw how local partnerships were delivering practical results, including expanded childcare services and new routes into employment and economic participation.

Childcare gives a concrete example of how community services connect with working life: access to care can help parents take up opportunities that would otherwise be difficult to manage alongside family responsibilities. The initiatives in Irpin illustrated the value of responding to local needs as part of the wider recovery effort.

Shaping the Next Phase of Decent Work

The visit reinforced the ILO's commitment to a recovery that creates a more resilient and inclusive labour market capable of delivering decent work. That means paying attention to the opportunities available to people and businesses, alongside the institutions needed to support them.

Insights from national and local partners will help shape the next phase of the Decent Work Country Programme's implementation. Keeping that work connected to the priorities of workers, employers and government will be essential as Ukraine responds to immediate pressures and builds the foundations for its economic future.