Tunis, 16 March 2021 -Minister of Labour and Rehabilitation at the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), Mr. Al Mahdi al-Amin, visited the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Libya office in Tunis to participate in an ad-hoc Livelihoods Working Group for Libya (LWG) meeting. The aim of the meeting was to enable LWG members – which include UN agencies, international and national NGOs and embassy representatives - to interface with the Minister of Labour for the very first time and engage in discussions about ongoing and planned livelihoods activities in Libya. This meeting constituted an important step towards enhanced strategic alignment and cohesion between development partners and the Ministry.

The LWG was set up in February 2020 to better coordinate livelihood activities throughout Libya and it is co-chaired by UNDP and the Ministry of Labour. The participation of the Minister will greatly enhance these efforts and improve the overall cohesion and coordination between the Libyan Ministry of Labour and international partners engaged in or planning to conduct livelihood activities in Libya.

During the meeting, Mr. Al-Amin updated the LWG members about key achievements and needs while highlighting that: “partnership is important to address the challenges we face in Libya. Our ministry is focused on training and job creation for young Libyans; however, we are not able to tackle these challenges alone. Therefore, I am happy that we are able to partner with various entities for the stabilization and rebuilding of Libya.”

On his part, the UNDP Libya Resident Representative, Mr. Gerardo Noto, added: “I am very pleased to have the Minister joining us in this working group, which is a crucial area of work especially during this key moment in the history of Libya with the transition of the new Government of National Unity (GNU). I would like to underline the importance of job creation and livelihoods in bringing peace dividends, which enable people to have a better chance to rebuild their lives and generate income. The coordinated working group will support the strategy of job generation and economic inclusion and will build on the very effective work being done by the Ministry of Labour in the provision of better conditions for Libya and all Libyans.”

The UNDP Libya Deputy Resident Representative, Ms. Gozde Avci-Legrand, affirmed that: "UNDP Libya valued the importance of a coordinated and strategic approach to livelihoods activities in Libya, which is done in partnership with other UN Agencies, NGOs and other development entities. UNDP Libya is therefore proud to co-chair the Livelihoods Working Group with the Ministry of Labour and hope that our joint efforts to synergize, collaborate and plan activities will better position us to further enhance local economic development in Libya for the benefit of all Libyans, but most especially for those who are from the most vulnerable communities.

The LWG will move forward to increase coordination and collaborative efforts with key government institutions to ensure effective livelihoods and economic recovery efforts in Libya.