The ILO held an online launching event for the EU-funded regional Youth NEET programme in the Southern Mediterranean region, a ground-breaking initiative designed to support young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

The ILO convened Southern Mediterranean stakeholders for the online launching event of the EU-funded regional Youth NEET programme in the Southern Mediterranean region (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory and Tunisia), a new initiative aimed at supporting young NEETs by making public policies and services more responsive to their needs.

The NEET rate, indicating youth not in education, employment, or training, poses individual and societal challenges, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA region) where it exceeds, at 29%, the global average of 23%, and is significantly above the 12% of OECD countries. Individuals face health risks, social exclusion, and poor job prospects, while societies experience stunted economic growth and entrenched poverty cycles. These figures highlight the urgent need for targeted policies to address youth unemployment and improve labour force participation, especially among young women in the region.

Building upon the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Ministerial Declaration on Employment and Labour (Marrakech, 18 May 2022) and international commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (with a dedicated target 8.6 on young NEETs), this three-year EU-funded regional initiative implemented by the ILO will support Southern Mediterranean partners in promoting policies and services responsive to the needs of young NEETs.

The programme will be informed by existing policies and programmes, and will draw inspiration notably from the European Youth Guarantee’s and its application in the Western Balkans. It will support the design and piloting of innovative interventions to reach, activate and support young NEETs’ transitioning to decent work and decent living conditions in the region.

The online launching event brought together European Commission representatives including EU Delegations, government officials from the Southern Mediterranean region, workers’ and employers’ organizations, the ILO regional and country teams, the European Training Foundation, and the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat. The event fostered regional exchanges of experiences and best practices among stakeholders. It contributed to a shared understanding of the situation of young NEETs and raised awareness about the approach proposed by the new regional programme.