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ILO Presentation to the Council of Ministers: Introducing, Administering, and Financing Rights-Based Social Protection Benefits

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is pleased to present its progress report on introducing, administering, and financing rights-based social protection benefits within the national social protection system in Palestine. Despite challenges posed by the ongoing occupation and economic crisis, significant achievements have been made towards strengthening social dialogue platforms, advancing social security reforms, and promoting decent work opportunities.

Tripartite Cooperation and Labour Market Reforms

  • The tripartite partners have continued to prioritize reform of the Palestinian Labour Law, aiming to bring it in line with international labour standards.
  • While extensive social dialogue efforts have reached consensus on several issues, the revised law has yet to be finalized and adopted.
  • The ILO urges Member States, development partners, and donors to enhance their support to the Palestinians and work together to build peace and social justice.

Social Security Reforms

  • The ILO has contributed to the finalization of the draft National Labour Inspection Policy and Strategy, supporting the labour inspection directorate’s social media capacity development.
  • A group was trained on using social media to promote labour law compliance and effective use of free social media tools.

Violence and Harassment in the Workplace

  • The ILO is supporting Birzeit University in strengthening capacities to address violence and harassment at work, eliminating discrimination, and promoting gender justice.
  • The Observatory for Gender and Social Justice will review internal governance procedures, establish new workplace codes of conduct, and complaints mechanisms.

Social Protection and Assistance Programs

  • The ILO has been working closely with the Palestinian Authority to develop social protection and assistance programs, including social security and social assistance initiatives.
  • Securing additional funding is crucial to accelerate investments in jobs and people as prescribed under the Palestinian National Employment Strategy for 2021-25.

Emerging Priorities

  • New program development priorities include promoting social enterprises, the social and solidarity economy, and circular economy, as well as green jobs and a just transition in the context of climate change.

Conclusion

  • In light of the urgent needs emerging from the crisis situation, we request the Director-General to respond to immediate needs and calls for urgent assistance from workers and employers in occupied Arab territories.
  • We urge Member States to provide financial resources for the ILO program in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, supporting decent work within the context of wider United Nations efforts for relief and recovery.

Draft Decision

  • While gravely concerned by the loss of life in the ongoing armed conflict, we acknowledge that the situation has rendered the continuation of the ILO’s technical assistance in its current form extremely difficult.
  • We request the Director-General to take all necessary measures in response to the observations and conclusions contained in the report, and develop a longer-term crisis response plan to contribute to subsequent coordinated Humanitarian, Development, and Peace sectors (HDP) Nexus response mechanisms in the region.