We can turn challenges to opportunities in Arab labour market - ILO Regional Director

ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat addressed the one-week Arab Labour Conference during its opening session and met regional ministers and other representatives from the Arab world of work.

Press release | 11 April 2016
Beirut/Cairo (ILO News) – With global joblessness set to surpass 200 million by the end of 2017 for the first time on record according to ILO predictions, the Arab region is one of the areas expected to bear the brunt of increasing unemployment, said ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat at the 43rd Arab Labour Conference (ALO) in Cairo, Egypt.

Speaking during the conference’s opening session on 10 April 10, Jaradat said that despite the challenges awaiting the future of work in the region, avenues of opportunity were also opening.

“The current sharp decline in oil prices presents an entirely new fiscal dynamic for the countries of this region. This may serve as an opportunity for oil-exporting countries to accelerate the pace of industrial policy and labour market development. For non-oil exporting countries, low oil prices should constitute a relief for their expensive subsidy systems and provide an opportunity to implement subsidy reform,” Jaradat told delegates from 21 Arab states at the conference.

On her first official visit to Egypt on behalf of the ILO, Jaradat met with ministers of labour from the occupied Palestinian territory, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Lebanon and Jordan, as well as regional worker and employer representatives.

She was accompanied by ILO Cairo Office Director Peter van Rooij, and ILO Special Adviser on the Future of Work Initiative Nicolas Niemtchinow, as well as senior ILO specialists from the region.

Syria refugee crisis and migration

Jaradat spoke of the unprecedented challenge posed by millions of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria.

“Refugees will need to work for a living, but not at the expense of the communities that host them. We must therefore address the issue of Syria refugees’ access to work, while also guaranteeing that host communities have jobs and receive the support they need to deal with the consequences of hosting refugees,” she said.

She added that the Gulf countries host nearly 18 million migrant workers, and that labour migration must be managed in an orderly way that fully respects the rights of the workers concerned, and meets the legitimate needs of origin and destination countries.

“There are hopeful signs of change, and I would like to take this opportunity to commend the UAE for its legal reform through such steps as the Three Decrees which were issued by the Ministry of Labour, and which allow for unilateral contract termination by migrant workers, thus increasing their labour market mobility.”

This year the annual event takes place under the auspices of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It brings together delegates from 21 member states to discuss labour issues and policy responses.

Key panel sessions in this year’s event focus on the ALO Director General’s report on “Developmental challenges and aspirations of the Arab Labor Organization,” a technical report on “The role of the social and solidarity economy in increasing employment opportunities,” and a technical report on “Information exchange and its impact on the organization of Arab labor markets.”

The ILO and ALO have a long history of cooperation in the Arab region, dating back some four decades, and the two agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2007.

Jaradat said social dialogue was key to building a better future for work in the Arab region.

“We need to turn challenges into opportunities in the Arab region. At the ILO we have almost 100 years of experience in addressing some of the most challenging issues of our time. And we know what the best method is to bring about the world of work we want in the future. The method is called social dialogue, the most peaceful and productive way of generating the inclusive and greener growth that we need.”

Jaradat concluded: “We look at the Arab Governments, employers and workers as agents of change, who are able to develop new policies and build stronger institutions that make the world of work in this Region a better place for present and future generations.”

For more information please contact:

  • Cairo: Asmaa Rezk, +201 099760450, rezk@ilo.org
  • Regional Office: Salwa Kanaana, +961 71505958, kanaana@ilo.org