Developments in North Africa and the Middle East have led to a major mobilization of the ILO to support constituents, to monitor developments in relation to ILO standards, and to provide advice and technical assistance on a wide range of issues. Following ILO’s initial strategy (“Challenges in the Arab World, an ILO Response”) from July 2011, the Decent Work Agenda has provided a framework for countries to respond to the challenges and events unfolding since the beginning of the year.
While the situation differs from country to country, a number of the root causes directly relevant to the ILO’s core mandate stand out, including high levels of youth unemployment, deficiencies in labour market governance, insufficient social protection schemes, and lack of respect for fundamental principles and rights at work.
ILO provides technical assistance on these issues, as well as on related topics such as the strengthening of new organizations of workers and employers, updating labour market policies, ensuring gender equality etc.
With generous support from Canada, European Commission, Finland, Italy, Kuwait, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, the United States and several other donors, the overall volume of ILO assistance to the MENA countries in monetary form has now reached USD 50 million. See table below for an overview of the ongoing ILO projects in the MENA region.
In response to requests from constituents, ILO offices in the MENA countries are developing further technical cooperation projects to be undertaken subject to availability of funding. In the case of North Africa, these will be presented at a meeting of development partners in Cairo in April. An updated version will be available shortly for the Cairo meeting.
For the Middle East and North Africa, the ILO has developed a number of further proposals, including the following.
North Africa |
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
Country |
Donor |
Project Title |
Budget USD |
Egypt |
Canada |
Decent Jobs for Egypt's young people: Tackling the challenge together |
9,700,000 |
Egypt |
United States |
Creating a conducive environment for the effective recognition and implementation of fundamental principles and rights at work in Egypt |
5,500,000 |
Egypt |
World Food Programme |
Combating Worst Forms of Child Labor, Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods and Educational Opportunities |
600,000 |
Egypt |
Italy |
Career Guidance for Youth and Job Creation |
1,000,000 |
Egypt |
United States |
Promoting Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and Social Dialogue |
2,200,000 |
Egypt |
United States |
Egypt Export Factory Monitoring Program |
10,000,000 |
Egypt |
Australia |
Creating Decent Work for young people by tackling the challenge of young people in agriculture, with a focus on sexual harassment work using the same methodology of the CIDA project, in one governorate |
3,000,000 |
Egypt/Tunisia |
Finland |
The Way Forward After the Revolution - Decent Work for Women in Egypt and Tunisia |
3,100,000 |
Egypt |
United Nations - Joint Programme |
The Dahshur World Heritage Site: Mobilization for Cultural Heritage for Community Development |
400,000 |
Egypt |
United Nations - Joint Programme |
Pro-Poor Horticulture Value Chains in Upper Egypt |
1,000,000 |
Morocco |
Canada |
Promotion of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work through Social Dialogue with a Special Focus on Women |
300,000 |
Morocco |
Canada |
Youth @ Work, Partnership for Employment of Young Women and Men in Morocco |
7,900,000 |
Maghreb Countries |
Spain |
Promover el empleo productivo y el trabajo decente de los jóvenes en Argelia, Marruecos y Túnez |
1,200,000 |
Tunisia |
Multi-Donor Trust Fund |
Engaging Tunisian Youth To Achieve the MDG |
600,000 |
Tunisia |
Norway |
Revitalising labour administration and promoting social dialogue in Tunisia |
1,000,000 |
Tunisia |
European Commission |
Programme d'appui au développement des zones défavorisées |
7,000,000 |
|
|
Total |
54,500,000 |
Middle East |
|
|
|
Country |
Donor |
Project Title |
Budget USD |
Jordan |
United States |
Protecting migrant workers’ rights in Jordan |
680,000 |
Lebanon |
European Union |
Action Programme for Protecting the Rights of Women Migrant Domestic Workers (WMDWs) in Lebanon |
700,000 |
Lebanon |
Switzerland |
Protecting the Rights of Women Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon |
240,000 |
Lebanon |
Switzerland |
Employment Services For Palestinian Refugees in South Lebanon |
450,000 |
Lebanon |
MDTF/UNDP |
Empowerment of youth at risk through job creation programme in areas of tension |
300,000 |
Palestinian Territory, Occupied |
Switzerland |
Skills Development and Employment Services for the Construction Sector in the Gaza Strip |
480,000 |
Palestinian Territory, Occupied |
Kuwait |
Nationalization of Know About Busines in the oPt |
150,000 |
Palestinian Territory, Occupied |
Kuwait |
Provision of support for the revitalization of the Palestinian Fund for employment and social protection |
300,000 |
Region |
Norwegian Trade Union |
Strengthening workers’ organizations in the Arab States through enhanced support to socio-economic and legal literacy |
150,000 |
Region |
United States |
Strengthening Workers' Organizations in the Arab Countries Through Social, Economic and Legal Literacy |
2,000,000 |
Region |
Norway |
New Regional Funding for selected P&B Outcomes, focusing on youth employment, support to employers'organizations and non discrimimation |
1,700,000 |
Syrian Arab Republic |
Switzerland |
Developing a system for labour market information and labour migration statistics in the Syrian Arab Republic |
500,000 |
Yemen |
Switzerland |
Mainstreaming labour migration statistics in the Labour Market Information System (LMIS) in Yemen |
300,000 |
Total |
7,950,000 | ||
Challenges in the Arab World: An ILO response (July 2011)
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