Promoting Formal Employment in Arab States (Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq): Transition from Informal to Formal Economy
ILOITC training examines informal employment in the Arab region, in particular in the context of crisis- impacted countries such as Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan and offers a platform to discuss ways to promote formal employment and enterprises, to achieve decent work and SDGs.
20 September 2019
Turin, Italy (ILO News) The International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization held a five-day training course aimed at examining strategies to improve formal employment during crisis settings.
The course focused on current socio-political situations in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq – countries which host large numbers of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, examining key challenges facing informal employment in those countries, and exploring policy frameworks, strategies, and measures that have been taken or can be taken to promote formalisation.
The training brought together government, employer, and worker representative, as well as social security representatives from Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. It allowed participants to exchange views and experiences on the roles different actors play in promoting formalisation.
“The objective of this course is to help participants identify the drivers for formalisation in their own country and design action plans to implement formalisation policies, measures in particular for migrant workers, refugees and IDPs,” said Coumba Diop, Senior programme officer at ITCILO.
The course examined country-specific contexts, as well as in international cases, shedding light on the ILO’s Response Plan to the Syria Refugee Crisis in Lebanon and Jordan, which supports efforts to increase economic opportunities and employment creation for both refugees and host communities – through promoting an employment-rich national response that integrates refugees into the formal labour market while also addressing the decent work needs of the local population.
The course was supported by Partnership for improving prospects for forcibly displaced persons and host communities (PROSPECTS) - a strategic partnership between the Kingdom of the Netherlands, ILO, UNHCR, UNICEF, World Bank and IFC that supports refugees and host countries in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
“The ILO is implementing a number of initiatives in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq in partnership with the Government of the Netherlands, UNHCR, UNICEF, World Bank and IFC to support refugees and host communities, through the creation of jobs and livelihoods opportunities,” said Maha Kattaa, ILO’s Regional Resilience and Crisis Response Specialist. “These efforts build on the ILO’s current programmes in Jordan and Lebanon where we have adopted a development-focused and employment-driven strategy to support host communities and refugees, through the promotion of formal employment, social dialogue, social protection and international labour standards.”
The course focused on current socio-political situations in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq – countries which host large numbers of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, examining key challenges facing informal employment in those countries, and exploring policy frameworks, strategies, and measures that have been taken or can be taken to promote formalisation.
The training brought together government, employer, and worker representative, as well as social security representatives from Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. It allowed participants to exchange views and experiences on the roles different actors play in promoting formalisation.
“The objective of this course is to help participants identify the drivers for formalisation in their own country and design action plans to implement formalisation policies, measures in particular for migrant workers, refugees and IDPs,” said Coumba Diop, Senior programme officer at ITCILO.
The course examined country-specific contexts, as well as in international cases, shedding light on the ILO’s Response Plan to the Syria Refugee Crisis in Lebanon and Jordan, which supports efforts to increase economic opportunities and employment creation for both refugees and host communities – through promoting an employment-rich national response that integrates refugees into the formal labour market while also addressing the decent work needs of the local population.
The course was supported by Partnership for improving prospects for forcibly displaced persons and host communities (PROSPECTS) - a strategic partnership between the Kingdom of the Netherlands, ILO, UNHCR, UNICEF, World Bank and IFC that supports refugees and host countries in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
“The ILO is implementing a number of initiatives in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq in partnership with the Government of the Netherlands, UNHCR, UNICEF, World Bank and IFC to support refugees and host communities, through the creation of jobs and livelihoods opportunities,” said Maha Kattaa, ILO’s Regional Resilience and Crisis Response Specialist. “These efforts build on the ILO’s current programmes in Jordan and Lebanon where we have adopted a development-focused and employment-driven strategy to support host communities and refugees, through the promotion of formal employment, social dialogue, social protection and international labour standards.”