AMMAN (ILO News) - The Palestinian Ministry of Labour, in collaboration with the Palestinian Prime Minister’s Office and in partnership with the ILO, the Arab Labour Organization and the Government of Germany, held a partners’ meeting to coordinate support for implementing the first Palestinian National Employment Strategy (NES).
Participants in the meeting presented Palestinian labour market needs identified in the NES, in order to coordinate interventions and identify funding gaps, to scale up support for implementing the NES.
The strategy, which covers the period 2021-25, was developed with the close support of the ILO. It seeks to chart a path to job opportunities and gainful employment for Palestinian women and men, especially youth.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders, development partners, UN agencies, international financial institutions, and Palestinian business organizations and trade unions to discuss and identify ways forward that are central to employment creation.
ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo addressed delegates through a recorded video message.
“Despite severe fiscal conditions and constraints, Palestinians have demonstrated extraordinary resilience,” Director-General Houngbo said. “Collective strategies are needed for a better future for Palestinian women and men, in the West Bank and in Gaza. The presence of your partners today clearly demonstrates their willingness to support the Palestinian people.”
“What is needed is investment in people, training, social protection and gender equality. Investments are also needed in the institutions of work, collective bargaining and social dialogue, along with measures to regulate new forms of work. All these will ensure greater social justice and decent work for all,” Director-General Houngbo added.
What is needed is investment in people, training, social protection and gender equality. Investments are also needed in the institutions of work, collective bargaining and social dialogue, along with measures to regulate new forms of work. All these will ensure greater social justice and decent work for all"
Gilbert F. Houngbo, ILO Director-General
Through the Palestinian NES and its combined set of policy measures, action programmes and investments, Palestinian governmental authorities aim to improve employment outcomes including through the creation of more and better jobs.
“We will persevere in instilling hope across the Palestinian land to create stability, opportunities, and peace for our future generations,” said Palestinian Minister of Labour Nasri Abu Jaish. “We will unite all our resources to instill more opportunities and sustainable jobs for Palestinian workers.”
We will persevere in instilling hope across the Palestinian land to create stability, opportunities, and peace for our future generations "
Nasri Abu Jaish, Palestinian Minister of Labour
ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat drew attention to the extremely high rates of Palestinian unemployment which reach 24 percent overall, and 45 percent in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Labour Force Survey 2022.
“Despite this bleak context, Palestinians, especially the younger generations, have the right to a brighter future in which they enjoy peace and access to decent and productive job opportunities,” Jaradat said.
Regional Director Jaradat continued: “The continued engagement and support of the international community is critical to our strong shared conviction that the resilient Palestinian people can build for themselves a better, more prosperous and independent future.”
“I wish to express particular thanks and appreciation to development partners who have most recently and very generously funded ILO interventions in the West Bank and Gaza, namely the European Union and the governments of Italy, Japan, Kuwait and Sweden,” Jaradat said.
Despite this bleak context, Palestinians, especially the younger generations, have the right to a brighter future in which they enjoy peace and access to decent and productive job opportunities"
Ruba Jaradat, ILO Regional Director for Arab States
The meeting also saw the signing into force of a new Palestinian Decent Work Programme (DWP) for the period 2023-2025. The new DWP draws on key achievements under the three pillars of the previous Programme: labour governance, employment promotion and social protection. The new Programme is also aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
The DWP was signed by Regional Director Jaradat, Minister Abu Jaish, Secretary General of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions Shaher Saad, and Chairperson of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Omar Hashem.
The Palestinian National Employment Strategy aims to strengthen labour market governance and develop active labour market policies and programmes. It works to align education, including higher education, and skills with labour market needs, as well as boost the private sector’s resilience and capacity to increase productivity and create decent employment opportunities for jobseekers, particularly youth and women.
The meeting Concept Note gives further details and background information on the Palestinian labour market.
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