Support to Development of the Arab Workforce for the Global, Information-based Economy
Project / Program Summary
(pipline)

1. Objectives
   The project will aim at creating in the Arab States a situation in which, increasingly, the level of education and skills represented by the Arab workforce will supply the labor market with potential employees who are educated and skilled enough to develop information technology (IT)-based aids for application in the production of goods and services and/or to use them in this production process. This will result in creating quality, well-paying job opportunities with all the benefits that an increased income has for human capabilities and poverty reduction in particular. This will also bring about economic growth achieved by rising productivity.
2. Activities / contents
   Initially, the project will go through a preparatory phase in which a "white paper" will be developed by experts from the region to cover (a) the global information revolution and the IT status of the Arab States; (b) the impact of the information revolution on the global workforce and the challenges that the Arab workforce faces in this regards; (c) suggested plan of action. The paper will be debated in a high-level meeting of decision-makers from the Arab governments, business community and civil society. Follow-up actions would depend on the content of the endorsed Plan of Action.
3. Expected outcomes / impacts
   The expected outcome of the first phase is an increased awareness of the government, business and civil society leaders, and the Arab public at large, of the changes that the global, information-based economy is bringing to their economies, societies and specifically to the employment / income situation of the Arab workforce. Also, ideally, the first phase should allow formulation of a strong, committed partnership within the region and with developmental partners of the region that would focus on promoting and financing the necessary change. The expected outcome of the second phase is a redirection of policies and investment flows to adjust Arab economies and the situation on the Arab labor market to fit the changing economic environment. Mechanisms would have to be put in place (the less structured, the more market driven - the better) that would allow for an increase in demand for application of IT in the Arab economy; identification of specific opportunities for such an application; Arab technical capability to meet such a demand; and, most importantly, Arab workforce that could operate as producers and/or users of IT-based aids applicable in the Arab economy.
4. Features in line with the Agenda for Action
   The initiative has a direct relation to job creation, poverty eradication and development of small and medium-size private enterprises.

United Nations Development Programme
Regional Bureau for Arab States
One UN Plaza, NY, NY 10017
Tel: 212-906-5450
Fax: 212-906-5487
E-mail: fawaz.fokeladeh@undp.org