Cairo, April 9, 2017

Your Excellency Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit;

Your Excellency Chairperson of the Conference Hend Sobeih;

Your Excellency Chairman of the Arab Labor Organization Dr. Issa bin Saad Al-Jifaly;

Your Excellency Director General of the Arab Labor Organization Fayez Al-Matiri;

Your Excellency the participant ministers and heads of delegations;

Your Excellency the representatives of business owners and workers

Ladies and gentlemen;

It gives me great pleasure and honor in the beginning to convey to you the greetings of President of the Republic Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his wishes of success for your conference.

I welcome you all in your second homeland Egypt wishing for you good stay and wishing the best for your countries and all the Arab countries.

I have read with all interest the agenda of the current session of your honorable conference and noticed the important topics it contained as they cover all aspects of labor and workers in all the Arab countries.

I hope that your debates during the conference committees would result in viable solutions to the challenges facing our Arab peoples in general and the workers in particular together with other problems that require swift and viable solutions.

These topics include adopting policies, programs, measures and training required for enabling youths looking for a job to get a suitable and productive job in light of the successive developments of the labor market needs.

We have all confidence in the ability of the Arab labor conference, in light of the wise leadership of the Arab Labor Organization, to stand up to these challenges and upgrade the Arab manpower to the levels that are capable of competition to enhance the status of our nations and achieve stability for our peoples.

Ladies and gentlemen;

We are keen, in light of the recent developments in the domain of business and workers in the world, to promote the context of business and upgrade the capabilities of workers. We are also upgrading legislation related to manpower which is represented in a new manpower draft law that is being outlined with all accuracy and in a way that is commensurate with the developments of the labor market. The law is being drafted by legal and technical experts who are capable to specify the suitable legislative framework for upgrading the business context inEgypt.

Also, we are working to enhance the training system at all levels to have workers who are equipped with skills that are required for competition on the labor market in accordance with the needs of the country to be able to implement giant development projects that are being carried out now. Therefore, we are working to building qualified and efficient human capacity that is equipped with experiences in the domains of information technology and communications.

We are also working for reconsidering educational curriculums and enhancing the environment of innovation and creativity along with entrepreneurship and upgrading the legislative system which is supporting efforts of promoting the manpower. All this comes within the framework of a comprehensive economic, political and social reform program that is being implemented by Egypt under its political leadership.

Ladies and gentlemen;

There is no doubt that common grounds binding the Arab countries are much more than aspects of division. They are unified by the factors of history and culture. They are also unified by a contiguous geographical location and have a humanitarian harmony and natural integration thanks to their immense natural and human resources.

Therefore, we call for outlining an Arab development strategy to stand up to the major challenges that are facing the Arab young people so that their role could be activated in the process of development and reconstruction along with upgrading human development rates in cities and villages and supporting micro, small and medium enterprises and upgrading competitive abilities at all levels.

Ladies and gentlemen;

I would not miss the opportunity on this score to thank all the participants in the conference who will work for enriching the event with their constructive participation and important debates and who are representing the viable aspects of the issues of manpower and workers.

In conclusion, I wish for you a successful conference and for our Arab countries and honorable peoples more prosperity and progress.

Thank you very much.