Beirut - ILO Director-General Guy Ryder will provide the keynote address to participants at the opening session of the Second Arab Forum for Development and Employment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday 24 February.

The Forum, whose theme is "Towards Social Protection and Sustainable Development", will discuss ideas for an integrated development framework for the Arab region that combines social protection and sustainable economic development.

The Forum is hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and organized by the Arab Labor Organization, in coordination with the Saudi Ministry of Labor and the World Bank. It will bring together ministers of finance, labour, social affairs and education from across the Arab countries, as well as representatives from the private sector, trade unions and international and regional organizations.

The Director of the ILO Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS), Nada al-Nashif, as well as employment and social protection experts from ROAS are expected to participate in the Forum, which will run from 24 to 26 February at Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.


For media queries, contact:

Reham Rached
Information & Documentation Assistant
Communication Department
ILO Regional Office for Arab States
Tel: +961 1 752 400 (Ext 108)
Mobile: +961 71 505958
Email: rached@ilo.org