The International Labour Organization and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Iraq will hold a one-day conference in Baghdad bringing together key stakeholders to discuss some of the critical aspects shaping Iraq’s labour market today.

Held under the Patronage of His Excellency Prime Minster Mustafa Al Kadhimi, the conference will bring together representatives from the government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, key policymakers and practitioners, UN agencies, development partners as well as academics.

The key topics that will be discussed during the conference include:

• Labour market challenges and opportunities;
• The role of the private sector and investment in creating decent employment;
• Active labour market policies and programmes; and
• Towards the development of an integrated and comprehensive national employment policy.

The conference comes under the framework of the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP)  in Iraq, which is being implemented by the ILO in partnership with the Government and social partners for the period 2019-2023. The programme focuses on three key priorities: supporting private sector development and job creation; strengthening social protection and addressing child labour; and strengthening labour governance and social dialogue.