ILO and Lebanon’s Prime Minister discuss emergency employment responses and wider support toward economic recovery

BEIRUT (ILO News) – In a meeting between Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat, the ILO reaffirmed its continued support to Lebanon during a time of ongoing economic and social hardship.

Jaradat congratulated the Prime Minister on his recent appointment and formation of the new Government. She affirmed the ILO’s readiness to working in close partnership with the new Government on its priorities, while supporting national efforts for recovery and reconstruction in accordance with the ILO mandate to ensure decent work opportunities and economic sustainability and advance social protection.

The ILO briefed the Prime Minister on urgent actions it has spearheaded within its Emergency Response Plan for Lebanon to safeguard livelihoods, generate jobs, rebuild infrastructure, expand social protection, enhance the agricultural sector and support vulnerable communities through policy advice and targeted, labour-intensive interventions.

In times of profound crisis, emergency employment is not just a lifeline - it is a foundation for recovery.

ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat

Jaradat, accompanied by a regional ILO delegation, highlighted how the ILO’s partnership with national institutions, worker and employer organizations and UN agencies aims to ensure that crisis response programmes are not only timely but also aligned with labour standards, preserving dignity and reinforcing decent work principles.

“In times of profound crisis, emergency employment is not just a lifeline - it is a foundation for recovery,” said Jaradat. “The ILO is committed to supporting Lebanon in achieving a job-rich and inclusive recovery that builds national institutions, offers a wide range of protections, restores livelihoods and creates decent work opportunities that offer people hope and stability.”

The discussions touched heavily on Lebanon’s National Social Protection Strategy, developed with the support of the ILO, which provides an essential framework for long-term resilience. The ILO stressed the need for the full implementation of the Strategy towards transitioning the country from fragmented and crisis-driven assistance to a comprehensive, institutional social protection system that underpins economic and social recovery.

Jaradat noted that the ILO’s support to increasing and expanding social security in Lebanon, conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and UNICEF, has, among other achievements, provided emergency cash transfers to tens of thousands of persons with disabilities through national systems—an important step toward leveraging domestic budget allocations to strengthen social protection.

The meeting also explored how Syria’s recent political transition and early recovery phase could affect Lebanon’s labour market. With increasing numbers of Syrian refugees in Lebanon considering return to Syria, the meeting addressed the importance of coordinating responses that address employment needs in both countries. Jaradat highlighted that the ILO is actively engaged in skills profiling for Syrian refugees and returnees, in coordination with UNHCR and IOM, to guide reskilling strategies and labour market reintegration efforts.

The ILO’s work in Lebanon and nearby countries reflects its broader mission across the Arab States region to support countries facing overlapping challenges, from economic instability to conflict and displacement. From emergency employment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to landmark legal reforms in Iraq and job creation strategies in Jordan, the ILO is driving forward a regional agenda that combines immediate response with economic recovery, through partnerships with governments, employers and workers, and through the wider UN framework.