Kuwait pledged $US 0.5 million to support the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT), during a signing ceremony at the ILO headquarters in Geneva.

Jamal Al-Ghunaim, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, made over the contribution to ILO Partnerships and Field Support Department Director Juan Felipe Hunt, in the presence of ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.

Kuwait’s contributions since 2009 account for 85 per cent of funding for ILO programmes in the OPT. The new funding brings Kuwait’s total contributions to the ILO’s promotion of Decent Work and social justice in the Arab States region to $US 4.5 million since 2009.

“Kuwait has been always keen to support ILO and its interventions in the OPT,” said Jamal Al-Ghunaim. “We praise ILO’s work and achievements in Palestine. I refer in particular to the adoption in 2016 of the social security law for workers in the private sector which will contribute to achieving better livelihoods for the Palestinian people,” he added.

“Kuwait’s contribution is highly appreciated as it has been the key instrument for supporting the ILO’s work for the Palestinians.”Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General said.

He added:“Kuwait’s contribution is highly appreciated as it has been the key instrument for supporting the ILO’s work for the Palestinians,” said Guy Ryder. “A number of important initiatives have been undertaken by the Palestinian Authority and the ILO in the last few months, notably the adoption of a social security law and the ongoing work for building a social security institution,”.

The Director-General and the Ambassador of Kuwait agreed on the importance of mobilizing for additional resources that would secure more funding for the ILO project on social security.

“As I indicate in my Report to the upcoming ILC: the Palestinian Authority and indeed a viable Palestinian state cannot stand on their own financially,” Ryder said.

From his side, the Ambassador of Kuwait indicated that his country’s latest contribution could be used to support the building of a social security institution in OPT and promised to work with the ILO for the mobilization of additional funds.

Source: PNN