About us

Who we are

WAPES (World Association of Public Employment Services) is a global platform that promotes the exchange of information on employment and the labour market between member States.

Almost 85 Public Employment Services from all over the world are members of the Association; together they represent more than 1 million staff, and they manage labour markets with unemployment rates ranging from two to 80 %.

WAPES was founded in 1988 by the public employment services of Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the USA, together with the International Labour Organisation, ILO, which remains an observer of the organisation to this day.

WAPES is based on the values of its members. The values are non-for-profit orientation, transparency, equal opportunities, high quality in service delivery, accessibility, and service-orientation.

 

Our vision

WAPES is the only global network for decision-makers in the field of public employment service. Decisions taken in this network have a significant impact, thanks to a high rate of participation and a well thought-out management structure. WAPES adds value in the fields of employment, migration and education by setting up reference markers within and between world regions. 

What we do

Every year, WAPES organises activities in all regions of the world for the benefit of public employment services and other invited organisations. These activities include conferences, workshops, peer reviews, trainings, study visits and other consultancies as well as studies and surveys on public employment services' strategy and performance. They are organised in collaboration with our members and partners.

All the activities contribute to the objectives of the Association, which aims to become a major actor on the global scene, a platform for learning and knowledge-building, and a supporter that helps members build up their skills.

 

 

Our history

With the purpose of opening an informal platform to the exchange of good practices in the field of employment services, WAPES was founded the 18 of October 1988 by the public employment services of Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the USA, together with the International Labour Organisation, ILO. ILO remains an observer to the organisation.

While the Executive Secretariat of WAPES was linked to the ILO headquarters at the beginning, it soon became an office with its own resources. The Executive Secretariat has been situated in Vienna and Paris and is since 2003 based in Brussels in the premises of VDAB, the Flemish Public Employment Service. The resources and the staff of the Secretariat come from generous contributions from different Public Employment Services.

The number of members has been constantly growing and today WAPES is an influential organisation in the different world regions, representing the expertise of over 1 million staff and working with powerful international organisations.

 

WAPES Presidencies

1989-1998         Canada    Mr Lionel Lindsey-Dixon

1998-1999         Tunisia     Mr Hédi Mamou

1999-2002         Norway    Mr Ted Hanisch, Mr Blaalid, Mr Lars Wilhelmsen, Ms Inger Johanne Stokke and Mr Per Engebretsen

2003-2006         Sweden    Mr Anders L Johansson and Mr Bo Bylund

2006-2012         France      Mr Christian Charpy and Mr Jean Bassère

2012-2015        Sweden    Ms Angeles Bermudez-Svankvist and Ms Elisabet Arp

2015-2018        Turkey   Mr Nusret Yazici - Mr Mehmet Ali Ozkan - Mr Ismet Köksal - Mr Cafer UZUNKAYA

2018-2021        Morocco Mr Nourredine BENKHALIL - M. Abdelmonnime EL MADANI

 

WAPES Executive Secretaries

1989-1995         ILO              Mr Lukas Wagt

1995-1997         Austria       Mr Franz Gundacker

1998-1999         France       Mr François Ducloux

2000-2003         France       Mr Jean Duronsoy

2004-2011         Belgium    Mr Patrick Venier

2011-2017     Belgium    Ms Lenka Kint

2017-2018  Belgium  Ms Françoise Kuyl

2018-present  Belgium Eve-Marie MOSSERAY

  

World Congresses and General Assemblies

1992   Niort, France, Public Employment Services and the Private Sector

1995   Stratford-Upon-Avon, Great Britain, Pressures for Change

1997   Nuremberg, Germany, Globalization, Migration & Labour Market

1999   Merida, Mexico, Vision, strategy and management of Public Employment Services by the new millennium

2001   Bergen, Norway, PES at the crossroad: public active strategies for PES to meet new market demands

2003   Marrakech, Morocco, Promote Employment – fight unemployment through building new relations between the PES and social partners

2006   Quebec, Canada, Performance of PES in the 21st century

2009   Dubrovnik, Croatia, The crisis response of PES: Operational initiatives towards sustainable recovery

2012   Seoul, Republic of Korea, Public Employment Services and change management

2015  Istanbul, Turkey, PES and the New World of Work

2018  Marrakesh, Morocco, Public Employment Services in the Context of Sustainable Development and the Digital Age

 

How we are organised

 

WAPES' legal structure is an INPA (International Not for Profit Association) according to Belgian law.

WAPES is organised in five world regions, each having a Vice-President as their representative:

 

• Africa

• Americas

• Asia and Pacific

• Europe

• Middle East and the Arabic countries

 

The decision making bodies of WAPES are:

 

• The General Assembly

• The Managing Board

 

The executive bodies of WAPES are:

 

• The President

• The Executive Secretary

• The Treasurer and

• The Vice-Presidents

 

WAPES´ office, the Executive Secretariat, is located in Brussels.

 

How we are funded

 

To a large extent WAPES is financed by membership fees, calculated on the basis of staff numbers and GDP per capita in US dollars (based on the IMF Economic database and the PPP method, Purchasing-Power-Parity). Above the membership fees WAPES is also financed by income from publications and technical services, subsidies, donations and legacies as well as bank interest.

 

General Assembly

The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body and includes all members. The General Assembly is, among other things, responsible for approving the annual budget, the statutes and the general plans for future activities, electing the President, the members of the Managing Board and the Auditors. The General Assembly is held in May or June every year. Every three years the General Assembly is held in one of the member countries and the second two years WAPES arranges an E-General Assembly, a written procedure.

 

Managing Board

The Managing Board consists of the President and 16 members elected by the General Assembly for a three-year period. Among other things, the Managing Board is responsible for ensuring effective administration of the organisation and for carrying out the decisions made by the General Assembly. It proposes a general plan for future activities, prepares management reports on activities that have taken place and prepare the General Assembly. The Managing Board meets at least once a year.

 

                                                                                                                                                         

 

 

 

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee comprises the President, the Vice-Presidents, the Executive Secretary and the Treasurer. The Executive Committee is appointed by the Managing Board and oversees the activities of WAPES between the Managing Board meetings.

 

 

 

The people of WAPES are over 1 million dedicated experts, represented by WAPES' members, almost 85 Public Employment Services in the five world regions. Our members, often represented by the Director General of the Public Employment Services, constitute WAPES' General Assembly.

The General Assembly elects the President, the members of the Managing Board and the Auditors. You'll find below the executive bodies of WAPES.

 

The President 

 

The President is, among other things, responsible for proposing and initiating strategies for the development of the organisation and for ensuring an effective administration at the WAPES Secretariat.

 

 

 

President

 

M. Abdelmonnime EL MADANI, Maroc

 

Directeur Général de l'ANAPEC

 

 

Mr. Abdelmonnime EL MADANI was born on June 03, 1967 in Ouezzane (Morocco).

In 1993, he obtained a degree in Higher Studies in Economics at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Social Sciences of the Mohamed V University of Rabat. He then graduated from the National School of Treasury Services in Paris-Marne la Vallée (France), in July 1994.

From 2013 to 2018, he was, among other things, Director General of the National Mutual Aid and Divisional Chief Inspector, Head of the Division of Local Finances to the General Treasury of the Kingdom of Morocco. Since September 2018, he has been the Director General of ANAPEC.

Mr. EL MADANI also holds the position of Mayor of Arrondissement Yacoub El Mansour in Rabat after having been Deputy Mayor of the city of Rabat for two terms of office.

Regarding his international activities, Mr. EL MADANI was mainly part of the founding team of UCLGA (United Cities and Local Governments of Africa). He also participated in the organization UCLG-World.

 

The Treasurer 

 

Mr Oliver Schärli, Switzerland

 

 

Oliver Schärli was born in Lucerne (Switzerland) in 1973. He studied Economic and Social History and graduated from the University of Zurich with a degree in Master of Arts while working part-time. He began his career in 2004 involved engaged in developing a professional curriculum for the healthcare field. He then taught history at a high school located in central Switzerland. In 2007, he joined the service of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in Bern.

In his first position, he was responsible for training measures in the Labour Market and Unemployment Insurance Division, which is part of the Labour Directorate. In 2010, he was appointed Deputy Chief for Switzerland's economic relations with North American and Caribbean countries. At the same time, he completed his postgraduate studies MBA (Master of Business Administration) at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. In August 2012, he was promoted Deputy Chief of the Labour Market and Unemployment Insurance Division in the Labour Directorate. In 2014, he was nominated Head of the Division and is in charge of more than 200 collaborators.

Oliver Schärli is married and has three children including twins. He is living in the region of Lucerne and commutes by train to work. In his spare time he enjoys sports, mountain hiking more than all others. He has a passion for music.

 

The Vice-Presidents 

 

There is one Vice-President for each of WAPES' regions: Africa, America, Asia & Pacific, Europe, and Middle East & Arabic Countries. The Vice-Presidents propose annual activity programs for the regions they represent and plan the execution of these programs. The Vice-Presidents are also WAPES ambassadors in their regions.

 

• Africa Region, Mr. Ibrahim AG NOCK (Director General, ANPE), Mali.

• America Region,  Mr. Scott B. SANDERS (Director General, NASWA), U.S.A.

• Asia-Pacific Region, Mr. Mr. Lee Jae Heung  (President of KEIS), Republic of Korea.

• Vice-Presidents Europe Region,  Mr. Jean Bassères (Director General, Pôle Emploi), France.

• Vice-President Middle East and Arab countries Region (MEAC), Mr. Beyte Allah Ahmed LESWED (Director General, ANAPEJ), Mauritania.

 

 

The Executive Secretary

 

The Executive Secretary leads the Executive Secretariat and is responsible for the function of the Secretariat.

The Secretariat supports the organisation and assists the President and Vice-Presidents in the approved WAPES activities set up for the regions.

The Secretariat is staffed thanks to secondments from the Public Employments Services in Belgium (Actiris, Le Forem and VDAB), France (Pôle Emploi), Germany (BA) and Sweden (Arbetsförmedlingen).

Below we briefly present the staff members with their contact information and their assignments. Don't hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to help you.

 

Phone : + 32 2 235 72 50

E-mail: wapes@wapes.org

 

Ms Eve-Marie MOSSERAY

 

 

 

Executive Secretary, responsible for the function of the Secretariat, the specific activities, the cooperation between the different regions and the cooperation with partners.

 

 

 

Phone: + 32 2 235 72 55

 

Fax: + 32 2 235 72 59

 

E-mail:evemarie.mosseray@wapes.org

 

 

 

Eve-Marie MOSSERAY joined WAPES last August 2018. She has been assigned by SYNERJOB and seconded from FOREM, the Belgian Public Employment Service for French-speaking Wallonia.

 

For the last 12 years, she has held the position of head of the training centers of Walloon Brabant (training for jobseekers and workers) with a wide representation of the activity sectors. Prior to this, she held various positions in banking, cultural and temporary employment sectors.

 

Eve-Marie has a master in Political Science and International Relations. She is interested in culture and she likes to go hiking in her free time.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Mr Abdelkrim BELKADI

 

 

Consultant for Middle East and Arab countries

 

 

 

Responsible for International Cooperation at ANAPEC

 

 

 

Karim joined the secretariat at the beginning of February 2017 and he works from the ANAPEC headquarters in Casablanca.

 

Phone: + 212 5 22 78 95 71

 

E-mail: mopa@wapes.org

 

 

 

After a Bachelor degree in Earth Sciences, Karim obtained an advanced Master degree in Business & administration. 

 

First, he worked at the Moroccan Ministry of Employment and then joined ANAPEC in 2002 in order to work in the field of international cooperation. He has organized several WAPES events in Morocco, including WAPES World Congress in 2003.

 

He is father of two daughters. Karim likes hiking, handiwork and reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms Jacqueline Mukamusana

 

 

Management Assistant

 

Jacqueline joined the WAPES Secretariat in June 2014.

 

 

 

Phone: +32 2 235 72 51
Fax: +32 2 235 72 59

 

E-mail: management.assistant@wapes.org

 

 

 

Jacqueline is journalist by profession. She has worked for over 20 years in various organizations both nationally and internationally such as The Voice of Women association, Food for the Hungry International (FHI), Young women's Christian Association (YWCA). She fulfilled respectively different functions such as administrative and financial assistant, management assistant and general secretary.

 

In June 2012, as part of her training in secretarial work, Jacqueline did an internship at WAPES, where she supported the Executive Secretariat with preparations of the World Congress in Seoul.

 

In addition to her mother tongue, Jacqueline speaks and writes English and French.

 

Jacqueline is mother of 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys.

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Pierre-Alain Vandewalle

 

 

Communication Expert 

 

Pierre-Alain joined WAPES Executive Secretariat in February 2015.

 

 

 

Phone: +32 2 235 72 57
Fax: +32 2 235 72 59

 

E-mail: communication@wapes.org

 

 

 

Initially Pierre-Alain went for a three-month internship in Venezuela for his degree in Communication. However he decided to stay in this country for 12 years. In 2014 he returned to Belgium.

 

Developing a passion for audiovisual and cultural work, Pierre Alain first collaborated on the creation of a community television in a popular district of Maracay in Venezuela. Then together with his Venezuelan wife, he created a non-profit Socio-Cultural organization called “Fundación Socio-Cultural AUTANA” of which he was the director for 10 years. The Fundación organizes free workshops for audiovisual production, films and documentaries projections in popular neighborhoods called "barrios”, produces video reports and helps other organizations to emerge.

 

Pierre-Alain also holds a degree in education with mention in Cultural Development from the Experimental Nacional University “Simón Rodríguez” in Caracas, Venezuela. In his last position he worked for two years as a communication expert for the National Experimental University for Security “UNES” for the Aragua and Carabobo regions in Venezuela.
Pierre-Alain spends his leisure time with his two children helping them discover the Belgian culture.

 

 

 

Ms Abril Quintero

 

 

Consultants’ assistant

 

Phone: +32 2 235 72 50
Fax: +32 2 235 72 59

 

E-mail: wapes@wapes.org

 

Abril started as a translation intern in June 2017. She helped the Secretariat with translations and other administrative tasks. Now she is the new WAPES consultants’ assistant.

 

She started her studies at the University of Leicester in Modern Languages with Translation and did her Erasmus at Université de Liège. She is yet to finish her degree but she has decided to take time off and to focus on gaining work experience. She speaks fluent English and French and Spanish is her mother tongue. She loves contemporary literature and film and to travel.

 

 

Mme Hilde d'AUBIOUL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Project Manager SamPES

Responsible for the organization, framing and deployment of the SamPES project.

Phone: + 32 2 235 72 53

Fax: + 32 2 235 72 59

E-mail: hilde.daubioul@wapes.org  

Hilde d’Aubioul joined WAPES in July 2019. She has been seconded from VDAB, the Belgian Public Employment Services of Flanders.

In July 2004 she started at VDAB as a mediator for job seekers. In October 2013 she switched jobs and started as Strategic Policy Advisor at the central office of VDAB. In this position she fulfilled a wide range of tasks and responsibilities.  Among others things, she contributed to the development of the long-term strategy of WAPES and was a TAIEX speaker for the European Commission.

Prior to her career at VDAB she took on various positions in different sectors: plant virus researcher, banking etc

Hilde has a master of science in Educational Studies and a bachelor in Biochemistry.

In her free time she likes to travel an meet other cultures

 

 

Ms Ibtissam MEFTAH

 

Consultant for Middle East and Arab countries

 

  

Ibtissem joined the secretariat at the beginning of August 2019 and he works from the ANAPEC headquarters in Casablanca.

 

Phone: + 212 5 22 78 95 71

 

E-mail: ibtissem.meftah@wapes.org

 

Mrs. Ibtissem MEFTAH has a master's degree in strategic human resources management. After a commercial management experience and undertaking training with a renowned ISO certification body, she joined ANAPEC in 2009. She began her career in the PES as a local employment counselor and then as a regional employment counselor. Currently, she works in the International Cooperation Department within the central management. She is also an in-house trainer of ANAPEC.

Mother of three girls, she loves classical music, photography, and traditional fashion.