the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the International Labour Organization in Iraq are organizing a national conference on the 8th of July 2021 bringing together experts and representatives from the government, employers' and workers' organizations of Iraq, key policymakers and practitioners, UN agencies, development partners as well as academics to discuss key aspects shaping Iraq’s labour market.

The event, entitled “National Conference of Iraq’s Labour Marker: Challenges and Opportunities” will examine key labour market challenges and propose solutions and recommendations which could feed into the development of an integrated and comprehensive national strategy for employment. The following key areas will be discussed:

• Labour market challenges, including low economic participation - unemployment - youth unemployment
• female unemployment - displaced persons and returnees, impact of COVID-19 and the informal economy;
• Small enterprises and the role of the private sector in creating decent employment;
• Investment and thecreation of decent job opportunities;
• Current national and international programmes and projects that support the development of the labour market in Iraq;
• Employment and job creation from the perspective of the Government’s White Paper on Economic and Financial Reform in Iraq; and
• The development of an integrated and comprehensive national employment policy.

The event, which will be held both virtually and face-to-face, will also allow for an exchange of knowledge on existing national and international programmes which seek to support the development of the country’s labour market, by tackling some of the key structural challenges, such as that of unemployment and informality.

The concluding document from the Conference will be in the format of a policy brief (in English and Arabic languages) that identifies common findings and challenges, and presents policy recommendations for each of the key areas highlighted above.

The purpose of this assignment is to produce the policy brief document.