Towards Sustainable Employment Opportunities: "Ministry of Labor and UNESCO" Strengthen Partnership to Skill Youth and Support Creative Industries

SadaNews - Minister of Labor Dr. Inas Al-Atari confirmed the importance of enhancing international partnerships and directing them towards practical interventions that contribute to addressing the unprecedented challenges faced by the Palestinian labor market. This was during her reception of the representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the State of Palestine and its office director in Ramallah, Mr. Karim Hendli, along with his accompanying delegation, where she congratulated him on assuming his new responsibilities and discussed the prospects for developing bilateral cooperation in support of the priorities of the Palestinian government in the fields of employment and economic empowerment.

Al-Atari reviewed the reality of the Palestinian labor market amidst the current conditions and the escalating challenges it faces due to the loss of income sources for tens of thousands of workers, particularly displaced Gaza workers and those stuck in the West Bank, as well as workers from inside Palestine who have been deprived of access to their workplaces. This situation has directly reflected in rising unemployment and poverty rates, with unemployment reaching about 49%, during one of the most difficult phases experienced by the Palestinian economy.

She noted that the Ministry of Labor is leading, in collaboration with international partners, a series of interventions and programs aimed at alleviating the crisis's impacts, by supporting temporary employment opportunities, empowering the most affected groups, and enhancing the resilience of families who faced displacement and forced eviction, especially in Jenin and Tulkarem governors' offices, alongside implementing programs targeting the economic empowerment of women and enhancing their participation in the labor market.

The minister also reviewed the efforts of the ministry in keeping pace with the government's trend towards digital transformation, through the development of an integrated digital system that includes the "Labor Market Information System", "Labor Market Compass", and "Job Match" platform, which contributes to improving skills alignment with market needs and facilitating access to job opportunities and employment services.

Both sides discussed ways to elevate the existing cooperation and expand it to include programs for skilling and vocational training in the sectors of creative industries, handicrafts, artisan arts, and music industries, considering these sectors as promising areas capable of creating new job opportunities and stimulating local entrepreneurship, especially among youth and women.

For his part, Hendli confirmed UNESCO's readiness to enhance cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Palestinian institutions and expand the scope of programs and projects with developmental and operational impact, reviewing the most prominent initiatives implemented by the organization in Palestine, and affirming the UNESCO team's readiness to support efforts aimed at skill development and enhancing employment opportunities, especially in the creative, cultural, and artisanal sectors which have promising potential to contribute to economic development and create sustainable job opportunities for youth and women.

The two parties agreed to continue joint coordination to develop qualitative initiatives and programs that contribute to skill development, expand employment opportunities, and enhance the contribution of creative and cultural sectors to support the Palestinian economy and achieve sustainable development.