08/06/2012
Social protection and employment workshop Reflections from international experiences
Workshop presentation General context In the middle of economic and political transitions, Egyptian authorities and their stakeholders are seeking effective mechanisms to reduce social pressure and enable an environment conducive to job creation. The Egyptian government, as well as other governments of the region, is looking for actionable solutions to contain economic and social difficulties and support a “jobful” recovery. It is also looking for possible concrete pledges to the population by building on policies that have shown evidence of a positive transition. For instance, the Government would be interested in implementing effective policy responses to youth unemployment. The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation asked to benefit from the experience of social measures implemented in countries that have gone through similar democratic transition in a context of socio-economic crisis. International experiences confirm that the choice of the type of social measures and their modes of implementation greatly impact their effectiveness in the short and long term. Sharing relevant international experiences may improve policy choices, and ensure that the measures implemented help include Egypt’s youth in the economic and social changes. The objective of the workshop is to share with Egyptian partners a variety of tools and practices, implemented internationally or elaborated locally, addressing unemployment and job creation, in order to support the identification of active labour market programmes and measures to reduce unemployment and promote employment, adapted to the Egyptian context. In the space of a 1 day workshop, international experiences (best practices, methodology, etc.) on "social measures" (vocational training, higher education, workfare (labour-intensive) projects) will be presented. The mobilization of a few key experts could be the occasion for short-term expertise in the day following the seminar. Presentation of the workshop Under the umbrella of the EM5 programme of the Marseille Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI)1, the Egyptian Authorities and AFD, WB, the European Union, the African Development Bank and ILO are jointly organizing the workshop. It will follow a conference organized by the ILO in April, and is organized in close coordination with the World Bank conference on social protection that will take place the day before the workshop. Social protection and employment - reflections from international experiences 1
The Marseille Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) strives to facilitate access to best knowledge, enhance sustainable development and support policies towards greater integration. It does so by creating opportunities for leaders in government, civil society, academia, and business to generate, integrate, share, and apply policy-relevant knowledge and analysis. CMI provides a platform for the formation of communities of practice focused on the Mediterranean region’s core development issues. These communities tackle critical challenges and seek practical solutions to enhance the prosperity of the region.
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