Kuwait pledges $US 0.5 million in continued annual support to ILO activities in OPT – ILO press release


Kuwait pledges $US 0.5 million in continued annual support to ILO activities in the occupied Palestinian territory

A new grant brings to $US 4 million the total amount of funding from Kuwait to the ILO since 2009, in grants dedicated to promoting decent work and social justice in the occupied Palestinian territory and the Arab States.

Press release | 16 May 2016

Beirut (ILO News) – Kuwait pledged $US 0.5 million to support the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt,) during a signing ceremony at the ILO headquarters in Geneva.

Jamal Al-Ghunaim, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, made over the contribution to ILO Partnerships and Field Support Department Director Virgilio Levaggi, in the presence of ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.

Kuwait’s contributions since 2009 account for 85 per cent of funding for ILO programmes in the oPt. These programmes currently fall within the ILO Palestinian Decent Work Programme (2013–16) which prioritizes technical assistance in the areas of labour market governance, employment and social protection. The programmes also support the Palestinian National Development Plan (2014–16.)

The new funding brings Kuwait’s total contributions to the ILO’s promotion of Decent Work and social justice in the Arab States region to $US 4 million since 2009.

“This agreement is in line with the State of Kuwait’s continued support to the Palestinian people and their steadfastness, and aims to strengthen Palestinian governance in its territory,” said Ambassador Al-Ghuneim following the ceremony. “It is also the result of the close and long-standing relationship between the State of Kuwait and the ILO.”

“As part of the United Nations system, the ILO must be diligent in pursuing the goal of providing support to the Palestinians,” Al-Ghunaim added.

ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat noted: “Kuwait’s generous contributions over the years have enabled the ILO to perform desperately needed work in the Palestinian territory, increasing access to jobs and livelihoods, and contributing towards providing Palestinians with the means to establish a viable state of their own.”

Over the past three years, Kuwait’s financial support to the ILO in the oPt has been used to support five specific areas of intervention: strengthening labour market governance through reformed labour law and enhanced social dialogue; facilitating the development of a social security system; promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment; supporting livelihoods and job opportunities in Gaza; and expanding the ILO’s Know About Business programme in the Palestinian territory.


Document Type: Arabic text, Press Release
Document Sources: International Labour Organization (ILO)
Country: Kuwait
Subject: Assistance, Economic issues
Publication Date: 16/05/2016
2019-03-12T19:27:23-04:00

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