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ePaper created 2015-12-01, 11:32:17 | version 1.43.00
13akzente 2/15 > AT A GLANCE Mongolia is one of many countries from which GIZ welcomes guests: every year, more than 300 delegations from all over the world travel to Germany. These visi- tors, often high-ranking government representatives, exchange ideas with other ex- perts on political, reform and change processes in Germany and Europe to gain impetus for reform in their own countries. These trips also enable them to share their own interests and experiences with others in Germany. The trips can focus on any number of topics, ranging from dual education systems and renewable energy to legal and judicial reform. International delegations > Contact Sigrid Vesper > delegationen@giz.de To conclude the trip, he and Mongolia’s Dep- uty Minister for Labour experience for them- selves the safety standards they hope to repli- cate in their own country at the construction site in the heart of Berlin, where the historical City Palace is being restored. There is an exten- sive array of safety features, which include hel- mets, safety vests and safety shoes for every- one, an independent on-site safety coordinator with authority over the construction compa- ny, clearly visible emergency plans, safe scaf- folding and a dedicated container for first aid. Buyannemekh says that he’ll definitely be telling everyone about Berlin’s impressive con- struction site when he’s back in Mongolia – and also about the many young Norwegian men he saw pushing buggies along the street. He then intends to study German and Norwe- gian occupational health and safety regula- tions more closely and share his new-found knowledge with others at home. Urgamal hopes that the delegates will be able to work together to implement higher safety standards following their trip. The head of the delega- tion, Batkhuyag, is quick to give this plan the green light on behalf of the Ministry of La- bour: ‘This team has now collected a great deal of information first-hand and acquired impor- tant skills. The members will remain in touch.’ Visibility: Boris Buyannemekh approves of the fact that he must don a helmet and safety vest to access a German construction site. in the various sectors,’ he says. ‘Almost every day, I find myself comforting dis- traught relatives who have lost loved ones in workplace acci- dents, such as falling from scaffold- ing,’ he reports, clearly moved by these unfortunate events. All too often, there is nothing he can do to help since there is no legislation to indicate who is responsible for paying benefits to surviving dependants in the event of fatal accidents. These stories deeply affect the dedicated occupational health and safety expert. ‘The economic upturn is supposed to benefit society. That’s why we have to make sure acci- dents don’t happen in the first place.’ The trip to Norway and Germany supports this objective. Mongolian oc- cupational health and safety legislation is currently being revised and this pro- cess is to be completed by late 2015. Be- fore then, the delegation of politicians, in- spectors, trade unionists and employer rep- resentatives wants to find out more about the high standards applied elsewhere and to gather new information and arguments to incorporate into the debate back home. ‘The participants are interested in the Norwegian system because the country has already un- dergone a process of change similar to the one that Mongolia might have ahead of it,’ says Batbold Otgonbayar from GIZ Mongo- lia, who is accompanying the group. ‘Nor- way’s thriving economy is based on the ex- traction of raw materials, and the country has a great deal of experience in occupational health and safety in this sector.’ The delegation’s trip was organised by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Minis- try for Economic Affairs and Energy. Germa- ny has been Mongolia’s key contact on occu- pational health and safety matters since the two countries entered into a raw materials partnership in 2011. Presenting positive ex- amples is an important part of the advisory services offered by Germany. Visiting the construction site at Berlin City Palace From Oslo, the group therefore continues its journey to Germany’s capital city. This is also Urgamal’s first time in Europe, and Berlin in- stantly wins her heart. ‘Berlin has a spirit of optimism which reminds me of Ulan Bator,’ she enthuses. Urgamal grew up in a rural prov- ince, but has a soft spot for bustling cities. At the German Federal Ministry of La- bour and Social Affairs, a representative of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health explains the special features of the German system: both the state and acci- dent insurance companies are required by law to contribute to occupational health and safety. Buyannemekh approves: ‘This pro- vides a clear political framework for the pub- lic and private sectors’ shared interest in pro- tecting the working population.’