Employers' Organizations

As the Arab region continues to face geo-political tensions, armed conflicts, a refugee crisis, and economic challenges, recent socio-economic country-visions emphasize the importance of private sector economic growth. Regional ILO Decent Work Country Programmes are aligned with country specific national socio-economic visions, development assistance frameworks, and Sustainable Development Goals implementation plans. With these visions in place, the ILO supports Employers and Business Membership Organisations (EBMOs) in the region through capacity building interventions that push EBMO leadership in socio-economic private sector led growth and job creation, while also developing better responses for members affected by their evolving environments. See more…

Facts & Figures

  • As part of its Decent Work Agenda, the ILO ROAS promotes social dialogue through creating efficient labour market institutions as well as effective independent employers’ and workers’ organizations to enable strong engagement from all sides, in order to increase productivity, manage labour relations, and build cohesive societies.
  • 13 Arab organisations are a part of the ILO’s International Organisation of Employers (IOE), which are representatives of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan,  Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.
  • Throughout the biennium, the ILO has been working with employers around the Arab States to assure they play an active role in representing the private sector in tripartite and bipartite discussions through evidence based policy positions. In addition, the ILO has focused on ensuring these employers’ organisations have the capacity to provide adequate services to their memberships through training sessions on advocacy, lobbying, communications, governance and strategy.
  • A total of 30 representatives from employers’ organisations have received ILO training on advocacy, lobbying and communications in two separate workshops in Oman and Jordan. The ILO has also carried out several capacity assessments of employers’ organizations across the Arab States to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
  • The ILO Global Business and Disability Network gathered employers to share experiences on how to The ILO maintains and develops a system of international labour standards aimed at promoting opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity.

Focus on

  1. New strategic plan set to revitalize the Federation of Yemen Chambers of Commerce and Industry

    The ILO has played a key role in revitalizing an important institution for peace and reconstruction in the conflict-afflicted country

  2. Assessment of the Wage Protection System in Qatar

    This report developed by the International Labour Organization Project Office for the State of Qatar provides insight into the strengths and gaps in the Wage Protection System from a number of perspectives, and puts forward actionable recommendations for its improvement.