ALO’s 48th Arab Labor Conference to kick off in Egypt on Sunday

CAIRO – 17 September 2022: The 48th session of the Arab Labor Conference organized by the Arab Labor Organization (ALO) will kick off on Sunday under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

Egypt’s Minister of Manpower Hassan Shehata will deliver a speech on the “world of labor” during the opening session on behalf of President Sisi, according to a statement by the ministry on Saturday.

The 48th conference chaired by Morocco extends until 25 September with the participation of manpower ministers and heads of delegations from 21 Arab countries.

This is in addition to representatives of the general secretariat of the League of Arab States, Arab and international organizations, and a number of ambassador and public figures.

The delegations during the conference will discuss issues and challenges facing the Arab World and issue recommendations on supporting development and economic growth and securing job opportunities.

The conference will also celebrate the 55th anniversary of the foundation of the ALO (1965-2020). The celebration will see honoring a number of representatives of some member countries of the ALO and the three productivity parties for their effective role in serving the labor and workers issues in the Arab World.

The conference is set to discuss a number of issues, including digital economy and operations issues, ALO activities in 2021, and the organization’s financial position.

The meeting comes while the labor sector has been gravely affected by multiple crises, including coronavirus pandemic with millions of workers worldwide losing their jobs and patterns of work becoming more dependent on modern technology.

In light of the COVID-19 crisis, the Egyptian state has provided the support and social protection system to irregular workers to empower them economically, create job opportunities, and to work to integrate them into the formal sector. The wages of regular workers in companies that suffer financial hardships have also been paid through a subsidy fund.

On Labor Day, which falls on May 1, President Sisi announced that he has directed the government to speed up the finalization of the National Employment Strategy (NES) to create new job opportunities compatible with the labor market for youth.