The ILO, UNDP and the Jordanian Ministry of Interior are convening workshops in Irbid and Mafraq to discuss employment and livelihood support to Jordanian communities in the north of the country that host the bulk of the Syrian refugee population.

A range of stakeholders will participate in the workshops including government officials at the local and national level as well as representatives from the business community.

Discussions will cover the following areas:

• Value chain development in selected sectors.
• Addressing labour market challenges.
• Organizational capacity building for employment services.
• Local capacity building to support business start-up and expansion.

This intervention is part of the ILO’s response plan to the Syria refugee crisis in Jordan which seeks to strengthen the knowledge base on the impact of Syrian refugees on the labour market, enhance institutional capacity and coordination to combat unacceptable forms of work, as well as improve access to employment opportunities and livelihoods in host communities.

These efforts are integral to the ILO’s Decent Work Country Programme for Jordan 2012-2015.