Article 74 Social cooperation

1. With regard to health and safety, the Parties shall develop cooperation between them with the aim of improving the level of protection of the health and safety of workers.

The cooperation shall include notably:

- education and training on health and safety issues with specific attention to high risk sectors of activity,

- development and promotion of preventive measures to combat work related diseases and other work related ailments,

- prevention of major accident hazards and the management of toxic chemicals,

- research to develop the knowledge base in relation to working environment and the health and safety of workers.

2. With regard to employment, the cooperation shall include notably technical assistance relating to:

- optimization of the labour market,

- modernization of the job-finding and consulting services,

- planning and management of the restructuring programmes,

- encouragement of local employment development,

- exchange of information on the programmes of flexible employment, including those stimulating self-employment and promoting entrepreneurship.

3. The Parties shall pay special attention to cooperation in the sphere of social protection which, inter alia, shall include cooperation in planning and implementing social protection reforms in Russia.

These reforms shall aim to develop in Russia methods of protection intrinsic to market economies and shall comprise all directions of social security activities.

The cooperation shall also include technical assistance to the development of social insurance institutions with the aim of promoting gradual transition to a system consisting of a combination of contributory and social assistance forms of protection, as well as respective non-governmental organizations providing social services.