Lebanon Minister of Labour visits ILO for talks on new government decent work priorities

Lebanon’s newly appointed Minister of Labour has met with ILO Regional Director for the Arab States Dr. Ruba Jaradat to outline cooperation on the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda.

News | 02 November 2021
BEIRUT (ILO News) — Lebanon’s Minister of Labour, Moustafa Bayram, headed a delegation from the ministry to the regional office of the International Labor Organization (ILO) – one of the Ministry of Labour’s main partners in Beirut.

The delegation – which was the first visit by H.E. Bayram to the ILO headquarters – was received by the Regional Director of the ILO Regional Office for Arab States, Dr. Ruba Jaradat. Dr. Jaradat welcomed the delegation, praising the cooperation thus far with Minister Bayram in the months since he took office.

International specialist from the ILO joined the meeting and gave presentations on the activities and projects of the organization. The interactive dialogue dealt with issues of workers' rights, combating unemployment, decent work, and means of cooperation. Delegates from the Ministry of Labour and ILO agreed to follow up on the meeting with a monthly meeting between the Minister of Labour and ILO.

Speaking after the meeting Mr Bayram, said "we are pleased to cooperate with the organization and learn about its directions and actively work together. We have been in communication with Dr. Jaradat, since day one, indicating our readiness for all kinds of cooperation, including charity, and to develop laws to become more appropriate and in consideration of global developments."

"We all hope that the current situation in Lebanon will witness a breakthrough and a quick exit from the crises it is facing. We were very pleased with H.E. Minister Bayram's affirmation that creating job opportunities in Lebanon is a priority of the government, because it is also a priority of the International Labour Organization," said Dr. Jaradat.

The ILO Regional Office for the Arab States (ILO-ROAS) opened its office 1976 in Beirut, Lebanon at the start of the Lebanese Civil War. Since then the ILO-ROAS has worked from Beirut to promote the Decent Work Agenda throughout the region: Creating jobs, Promoting Social Dialogue, Extending Social Protection and Guaranteeing Rights at Work. Through this multifaceted approach, the ILO-ROAS works with tripartite partners—governments, workers and employers—in order to foster social justice through decent work opportunities, sustainable enterprises, higher productivity and equitable growth.