Minster of Labor Meets ILO Team

Damascus, (ST) – The Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Rima Qadri confirmed the importance of cooperation with international organizations and civil society in the implementation of the visions to provide interest for the development of labor environment and paying attention to the social empowerment.

During a meeting held yesterday evening with a team from the International Labor Organization (ILO)Mrs. Qadri stated that “the re-launch of the organization’s activity in Syria is a sign of recovery in Syria,” expressing the hope that the cooperation with this organization will be fruitful in many topics, including the organization of labor relations and areas of health, vocational safety and combating the worst forms of child labor, which will be the focus during the team’s visit and its meetings in Syria.

Mrs. Qadri pointed out that “the circumstances of the crisis in Syria were not an impediment to continue production, development and faith in the future,” adding: The government’s efforts are focused in the context of development work to ensure the future of security in Syria despite the crisis.

For his part, Director of Regional Programs at the International Labor Organization, Lars Johansen, explained that the visit of the organization’s delegation comes to follow up the results of the visit by the delegation of the Organization to Syria in March and discussed ways to activate the areas of cooperation, noting that it will be during this visit, following-up discussions in partnership and cooperation with UNICEF and focus on the issue of child labor, particularly the fight against the worst forms of child labor.

During the visit, matters will be discussed relating to work, occupational safety, labor inspection and the social security system, which are all topics relevant to the work of children and concern for the family, according to Johansen.

For her part,Shaza al Jondi, in Charge of Syria programs at the Regional Bureau for Arab States of the Organization in Beirut noted that the organization carried out with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, between 2008-2011 a number of quality programs, including the National Programme for decent work and labor inspection, occupational safety and care of children, pointing out that the return of the ILO’s activity in Syria will be a continuation of the work in the past and based on previous projects and achievements.

Sh. Kh.