Call for Clear Strategy to Reduce Unemployment Rate in Arab World

The expert called for orientation training systems and programmes to be a part of the general employment policies. Ahmed Hikmat Shamseddine, deputy chairman of the Lebanese Association for Human Rights, said on Thursday that for the development to be sustainable in a society, it should be addressed socially and economically.

“Priority should be given to the less fortunate young people as they constitute the largest percentage of the unemployed.”

In his speech during the session on ‘Sustainable Development’ during the 5^th Forum for the Future, he highlighted the scary rate of unemployment in the Arab world, which is the highest in the world. “More than 14 per cent, that is more than 17 million people, are unemployed in the Arab countries. The unemployment rate among the youth is more than 25 per cent. Women are more exposed to the long-term unemployment,” he said.

He underlined the role of the private sector as well as businessmen in fighting unemployment. One of the main reasons behind that crisis is the insufficiency of economic growth to absorb the new graduates and the job-seekers.

“The challenges like social care and abandoning of social care policies in some countries and absence of any care targeting people with special needs compound the problem. Administrative reform to end bureaucratic red tape is another challenge.”

Shamseddine urged the Arab governments to address and prioritise the unemployment problem to cut the risks of social marginalisation.

The unemployment rate was revealed in a report by the Arab Labour Organisation.

The Sustainable Development session is part of the Civil Society meetings being held parallel to the 5^th Forum for the Future.

mary@khaleejtimes.com