SEMINAR THE SITUATION OF YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION Madrid, November17-18, 2016

Background The social and political upheavals that have occurred in the southern Mediterranean, together with the severe economic crisis in its northern shore have especially affected youth. Many analysts agree that the reasons behind the protests of 2011 have been largely socio-economic. In 2015, world youth unemployment reached 75 million, according to the ILO. The youth unemployment rate in Arab countries was 28%, and over 43% for women, well above the average 12%. Regarding Spain, it remains the EU country with the highest rate of unemployed youngsters, with a rate of 49.6% according to data released in June 2015 by Eurostat. The figures are high on both shores of the Mediterranean and present great challenges for the authorities, but also opportunities to collaborate and reflect together. In this context, Casa Árabe and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), in collaboration with the Workers' Commissions (CCOO) and the General Union of Workers (UGT) of Spain, organize a seminar in which the main social and productive agents analyze the causes and offer possible solutions to the crisis.

Objective The seminar's main purpose is to bring together organizations and institutions representing economic and social interests throughout the region to reflect on the above-mentioned subject. Also, it is intended to invite the trade unions of the Spanish State and the Mediterranean region, economic and social councils in the region, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), International Trade Union Confederation Arabic (ATUC-ITUC), International Organization (ILO) and other related institutions that can contribute to the content of the seminar in the Mediterranean regional framework. Speakers will be asked to present written documents corresponding to the 10-15 minutes of their speech to assess the possibility of a publication summarizing the work of the seminar.

Program November 17 11:30 Opening: Pedro Villena, Casa Árabe’s director-general, Gero Maas, head of Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Spain, Ignacio Fernández Toxo, secretary-general of Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), Pepe Álvarez, secretary-general of Unión General de Trabajadores de España (UGT) 12:00 Inaugural conference: Inequalities and labor markets in transition. Ralitza Dimova, University of Manchester 12: 30 The current situation of youth and employment - Overview of youth employment and its prospects in the Sustainable Development Goals (ODS). Joaquín Nieto. ILO Spain - The role of the trade unions. Mustapha Tlili, Executive Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation Arab (Arab Trade Union Confederation, ATUC-ITUC) - The situation of youth employment in Spain. Tania Pérez, confederal secretary of Youth Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions (CCOO) Moderator: Karim Hauser, Casa Árabe 13:30 Debate 14:30 Lunch break 15:30 Labor markets and youth: causes and potential solutions - Overview of employment in the MENA region. Paz Arancibia, Asesora de empleo juvenil, Greenjobs Platform, UNOPS - Access to the labor marke. Mohamed Skandrani, International Department, UGTT Tunisia. - Private sector vs. public sector as sources of employment. Mona Amer, Cairo University. Moderator: Cristina Faciaben, Secretary of International Cooperation and CCOO 16:30 Debate 17:30 Conclusions

November 18 9:30 Effects: labor mobility and Mediterranean migrations - Why leave? Expectations of migration. Elena Sánchez-Montijano. Sahwa project, CIDOB - Incorporation of migrant workers in the field. Sadok Ben Hadj, coordinator, Union Network of Migrants Mediterranean and sub-Saharan Africa (RSMMA). - Youth employment and migration in Morocco. Hajar El Mokhi, Association Marocaine d’Etudes et de Recherches sur les Migrations - Employment in Spain: experiences as a receiver and transmitter of youth migration. Virginia Fernández, Departament of Confederal Youth, UGT. Moderator: María Pallares, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung 10:30 Debate 11:00 Coffee 11:30 Other dimensions: Social dialogue and youth participation -The state of social dialogue and governance in the Mediterranean. Nour Jarrar, Organized Civil Society (Economic and Social Council of Jordan) and Pedro Fernández Alen, Director of the business group and Chairman of the Working Committee for Employment, Industrial Relations and Social Security of the Economic and Social Council of Spain. - The participation of women in the labor movement. Aisha Hammouda, representative of the Network of Women in the Arab CSI and member of PGFTU (Palestine) - Youth political participation, civic engagement and new media. Moussa Bourekba, Sahwa project, CIDOB. 12:30 Debate 13:30 Plenary and conclusions

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In collaboration with: