Poul Nielson to map Nordic labour cooperation

The former Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Thorvald Stoltenberg analysed Nordic defence and security cooperation, the former Swedish Minister for Health Care and Social Security Bo Könberg analysed the Nordic health sector and now it is the Nordic labour market’s turn.

“We will now get a thorough analysis of an area which traditionally has been very central to Nordic cooperation, but which in later years has been overshadowed by developments in Europe,” says Dagfinn Høybråten, the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Poul Nielson will also look at how the Nordic countries could coordinate their labour market policies within the EU/EEA and in organisations like the OECD and ILO.

Part of Poul Nielson’s work is also to launch initiatives which can strengthen the Nordic Council of Ministers’ aims to improve employment figures and reduce unemployment and to promote inclusive workplaces and good working  environments. As part of that analysis he will also look at the Nordic tri-partite cooperation. 

“I look forward to the task and to work with the Nordic Council of Ministers and all of the other actors in the Nordic region,” says Poul Nielson.

Nielson will spend the spring and autumn of 2015 visiting all of the Nordic countries plus the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland to meet the ministers responsible for labour life as well as the social partners. There are also plans for meetings with authorities, researchers, social commentators, representatives from NGOs and others involved with Nordic labour cooperation.