Psychosocial Risks and Mental Health at Work in the Future of Work: Promoting evidence-based policy making

This event was aimed at sharing knowledge, experiences and good practices in regulation and policy initiatives. Participants will:

• Present specific legislation and policies related to psychosocial risk management and mental health at work across countries and discuss learnings from their implementation.
• Consider the key indicators used to evaluate these policies and gaps that need to be addressed going forward.
• Evaluate how various initiatives have worked out in practice and priorities to be addressed through engaging key stakeholders.
• Discuss how various policies can be aligned to promote a preventative approach on PSR and mental health at work, including a specific focus on good practices that have been implemented in line with the UN Strategy for Mental Health at Work in various UN agencies.

Day 2: Building a Global Consensus for Action

The second day broadened the scope to global policymaking. The day was launched with a powerful keynote address from Yolanda Diaz, Second Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Labour and Social Economy of Spain. She highlighted that good working conditions are a human right and detailed how Spain’s ambitious labour reforms are tackling job precarity to directly improve the mental health of workers.

A session on “Lessons from across countries” provided a rich comparative perspective, with policymakers and experts from Colombia, Italy, Finland, Chile, and France sharing their national experiences in developing and implementing legislation on psychosocial risks. This session revealed common challenges in enforcement and the translation of law into practice, reinforcing the need for international collaboration.

The collaborative spirit was further cemented in a dynamic Policy Stakeholder Roundtable. Chaired by Estelle Ceulemans, MEP, who shared key updates on policy developments at the EU level, the roundtable brought together representatives from the ILO, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), EuroCadres, and the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) to discuss aligning policy and building effective partnerships.

The Geneva Partnership Commitment: A Unified Path Forward

The collective insights and shared challenges discussed over the two days led directly to the event’s landmark conclusion: the signing of the Geneva Partnership Commitment.

This commitment formally establishes a global network between the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP), the Asia-Pacific Academy for Psychosocial Factors at Work (APA-PFAW), the Society for Occupational Health Psychology (SOHP), and the Scientific Committee of the International Commission on Occupational Health on Work Organization and Psychosocial Factors (ICOH-WOPS).

Recalling the inclusion of “a safe and healthy working environment” in the ILO’s framework of fundamental principles and rights at work, the network commits to addressing the significant global disparities in prevention, terminology, coverage, and enforcement related to psychosocial risks. It will support international organizations, governments, and stakeholders through policy-focused initiatives, joint research, and the development of practical, evidence-based tools.

Reflecting on the event, EAOHP President Stavroula Leka stated, “The Geneva Partnership Commitment represents a renewed assurance of sustainable collaboration among key occupational health psychology associations. Our collaboration is now more important than ever to ensure that evidence-based policy making and practice are strengthened globally. We look forward to working with international organisations, such as the ILO, national governments, social partners, and other stakeholders in this endeavour and we thank them for their continued engagement and support.”

The EAOHP is proud to lead this initiative and looks forward to collaborating with its global partners to turn this commitment into tangible action.

Read the full text of the Geneva Partnership Commitment here.

Day 2: 10th October 2025

Psychosocial Risks and Mental Health at Work in the Future of Work: Promoting Evidence-based Policy Making

08:30 – 09:00 Registration

09:00 – 09:30 Opening session

• Welcome, Joaquim Pintado Nunes, Chief, Occupational Safety and Health and Working Environment Branch, International Labour Organization
• Opening address: Psychosocial Risks and Mental Health at Work: Moving forward in policy and practice, Stavroula Leka, President, EAOHP, and University of Lancaster

Chairs: Despoina Xanthopoulou, Kevin Teoh

09:30 – 10:15 Keynote address

• Working together to advance the management of psychosocial risks at work and promote workers’ health and wellbeing, Yolanda Diaz, Second Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Spain

Chairs: Daniel Ripa, Caleb Leduc

10:15 – 10:45 Coffee break

10:45 – 12:30 Lessons from developing and implementing policies on psychosocial risk management and mental health at work across countries

• Colombia: “The management and prevention of psychosocial risks at work: A fundamental factor for workers and the productive development of a country“
  Gloria Inés Ramírez Rios, Former Minister of Labour
• Italy: “Psychosocial risk factors, prevention and management at work: a key pillar for Mental Health. The Italian experience”
  Sergio Iavicoli, Director General of Prevention, Ministry of Health
• Finland: “Implementation of the national Mental Health Strategy and OSH Strategy in Finland – Lessons learned”
  Jaana Vastamäki, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. 
• Chile: “Perseverance in action: Shaping psychosocial risk policy in Chile”
  Juan Manuel Pérez Franco, Technical Advisor, Office of Occupational Health and Safety, Superintendency of Social Security
• France: “The implementation of psychosocial risks or mental health at work law in practice: is it necessary to legislate” 
  Loïc Lerouge, Research Director, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)

Chairs: Silvia Silva, Luis Torres

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30 – 15:00 Policy stakeholder roundtable – Aligning policy approaches and building partnerships

• Estelle Ceulemans, MEP and Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
• Nayla Glaise, President, EuroCadres
• Diana Gagliardi, Secretary General, International Commission on Occupational Health
• Leanie Du Toit, Co-Chair, and Lachean Humphries, Manager, International Organization for Standardization, Technical Committee 283 on Occupational Health and Safety Management (ISO/TC 283)
• Manal Azzi, Team Lead on Occupational Safety and Health Policy and Systems, Occupational Safety and Health and Working Environment Branch, International Labour Organization
• Sonia Nawrocka, Researcher on Health, Safety & Working Conditions, European Trade Union Institute

Chairs: Estelle Ceulemans, Stavroula Leka

15:00 – 15:30 Coffee break

15:30 – 16:30 Forum: Future of policy making on work-related psychosocial risks

• Mental health in a changing world of work: EU-OSHA’s research on Psychosocial Risks at Work, Julia Flintrop, Project Manager, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)
• Protecting workers from psychosocial risks: a global priority for policy-making, Daria Cibrario, Senior Policy Officer, Public Services International
• Open forum for participant discussion

Chairs: Juliet Hassard, Miguel Munoz

16:30 – 17:00 Geneva Partnership Commitment: Concluding remarks and close

• Stavroula Leka, President, European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP)
• Michael Ertel, Chair, International Commission on Occupational Health – Scientific Committee on Work Organisation and Psychosocial Factors (ICOH-WOPS)
• Akinori Nakata, President, Asia Pacific Academy for Psychosocial Factors at Work (APA-PFAW)
• Liu-Qin (LQ) Yang, President, Society for Occupational Health Psychology (SOHP)
• Manal Azzi, International Labour Organization

Chairs: Juliet Hassard, Miguel Munoz