LOC16:10
13:10 GMT
General Director of the Arab Labor Organization (ALO) Fayez Al-Mutairi during inauguration of ALO's 87th session
CAIRO, Oct 7 (KUNA) -- General Director of the Arab Labor Organization (ALO) Fayez Al-Mutairi on Saturday called for effective pan-Arab cooperation to realize sustainable development in the Arab countries.
In light of fundamental developments happening in the Arab region, paramount attention must be devoted to social and economic issues, namely combating poverty, youth employment, professional training and boosting social dialogue, said Al-Mutairi (of Kuwait) during inauguration of ALO's 87th session.
Attaining sustainable development in the Arab world is strategically inevitable, said Al-Mutairi, re-underscoring remedy for the high heap of social and economic problems burdening the nation -- widely eyed as fertile ground for mounting violence and fanaticism.
ALO's session witnessed election of Iraqi Minister of Labor (Eng.) Mohammad Al-Sudani as board chairman, who for his turn, delved into the issue of mounting joblessness in the Arab states, prescribing adequate investment environment for the private sector where it could be an effective partner in the process toward development.
The young, he opines further, need to be encourage to take initiatives and be innovative in small and medium enterprises.
According to World Bank estimates, in 2016, unemployment reached some 11.5 percent around the Arab region, much higher than most other parts of the world. However, ALO's reports put joblessness at more than 17 percent, and that the Arab states need to create 35 million job opportunities to decrease current unemployment rates by to half by 2020.
Conferees examined decisions of the 86th session and the 44th session of the Arab Labor Conference. They also discussed reports about overhauling labor systems in ALO's member countries, conditions of the Palestinian people, namely the workers, in the occupied territories, affirming utmost support for the Palestinians in face of inhuman practices by the "Zionist entity" and their struggle to determine their destiny and re-attain freedoms.
They praised Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Sebeeh for her effective efforts when she headed the Arab group during the 106 session of the International Labor Conference, held in Geneva last June. (end)
ms.rk