SESRIC, serving as the Secretariat of the OIC-Public Employment Services Network (OIC-PESNET), collaborated with the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC) of the Kingdom of Morocco, in its capacity as the Chair of the OIC-PESNET, to organise the 4^th Meeting of the OIC-PESNET from 29 February to 1 March 2024 in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco. The Meeting brought together 56 participants from the the national Public Employment Services (PES) authorities and other relevant institutions, including the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills (MIEPEEC) of the Kingdom of Morocco, as well as 3 institutions, namely Tamwilcom, SABIL Project, and the Association for the Promotion of Education and Training Abroad (APEFE), representing 20 OIC member countries.

The 4^th Meeting of the OIC-PESNET commenced with the addresses from distinguished speakers, including H.E. Mr. Younes SEKKOURI, Minister of the MIEPEEC of the Kingdom of Morocco; Dr. Varol DUR, Deputy Director General of the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) and Outgoing Chair of the Network; H.E. Mrs. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC; and Dr. Imane BELMAATI, Director General of the ANAPEC of the Kingdom of Morocco and the 2024-2026 Chair of the Network.

In his welcoming remarks, H.E. Mr. Younes SEKKOURI, Minister of the MIEPEEC of the Kingdom of Morocco, highlighted the transformative developments in the employment sector that have prompted governments to adopt innovative approaches for the benefit of their populations, particularly youth and women. The Minister emphasized Morocco’s initiatives, including the “Awrach” programme, aimed at creating job opportunities for 250,000 individuals who lost employment during the pandemic, and the establishment of a new investment agreement. He underscored the crucial role of small businesses in creating jobs and promoting economic inclusion, reflecting a comprehensive strategy to address the evolving challenges in the workforce.

Dr. Varol DUR, Deputy Director General, Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) and the Outgoing Chair of the Network, highlighted the significant trainings conducted during Türkiye’s presidency, covering diverse topics such as on-the-job trainings, job and vocational ounselling services, labour market information systems, services for migrants, and financial incentives. He expressed confidence in the benefits these topics have brought to member countries, aiding in the development of new policies and improved services for job seekers and employers. Looking forward, Dr. DUR emphasized the crucial role of digital transformation, green jobs, services for the disabled, benchmarking activities among member countries, and thematic study visits in shaping the upcoming OIC-PESNET Work Plan.

In her address, H.E. Mrs. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC, underscored OIC-PESNET’s important role in fostering cooperation to address employment challenges. She highlighted that OIC countries face higher average unemployment rates compared to the global average, with rates of 6.3% in 2022, with a particularly concerning female unemployment rate of 7.4%. H.E. Mrs. SELÇUK pointed out that globally, youth encounter challenges in accessing decent job opportunities, as evidenced by a global youth unemployment rate of 14%, which is slightly higher than the OIC average of 13.7%. She also noted that nearly one-fourth of young people worldwide are not in employment, education, or training (NEET), a figure that rises to almost 40% for females in OIC countries. Despite a decline in vulnerable employment, it remains substantially higher than in developed countries. Additionally, challenges related to inadequate skill levels and skills mismatch persist, with only around 17% of the labour force in OIC countries considered high-skilled. H.E. Mrs. SELÇUK stressed the importance of promoting the entrepreneurial ecosystem to address these issues. She also expressed gratitude to Türkiye for their exemplary leadership during their tenure as the previous Chair of OIC-PESNET and congratulated the new Bureau Members of OIC-PESNET for the period 2024-2026, comprising Morocco (as the Chair – OIC-Arab), Malaysia (OIC-Asia), Senegal (OIC-Africa), and Palestine (permanent) as Vice Chairs.

Dr. Imane BELMAATI, Director General of the ANAPEC of the Kingdom of Morocco, expressed her gratitude for being chosen to chair the OIC-PESNET for the 2024-2026 term, affirming their agency’s commitment to the network and its objectives. She emphasized the need for innovative public employment policies in response to the changing labour market due to post-Covid impacts, globalisation, and technological progress. The theme of the session, “Entrepreneurship and PES: What are the challenges for better economic inclusion”, was highlighted as crucial for Morocco’s public employment institutions, given its role in creating job opportunities and strengthening economic and social dynamics. The meeting was seen as an opportunity to discuss the roles of public employment services and define action plans for the future.

Following up the opening remarks, the Chairmanship of the OIC-PESNET was officially handed over from the OIC Asia Group (Türkiye) to the OIC Arab Group (Morocco). The meeting then proceeded with a presentation on the Overview of OIC-PESNET and its Implemented Activities, delivered by SESRIC and İŞKUR, in its capacity as the Outgoing Chair of the Network.

On the first day of the Meeting, two panel discussions were held, focusing on the following topics:

• Entrepreneurship as a Lever for Sustainable Growth and Economic Inclusion
• What Entrepreneurial Skills for a Better Economic Integration of Young People?

On the second day of the Meeting, the participants discussed and deliberated on the new two-year Work Plan (2024-2026) of the Network that focuses on the following thematic areas:

• Digital Technologies for Employment and Skills Development
• Labour Market Information (LMI)
• Entrepreneurship as a Lever for Sustainable Growth and Economic Inclusion
• Economic Inclusion of Youth Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)

During the Closing Session, the participants considered the Final Communiqué concerning its future work under each thematic area.

All the documents, presentations, and other related materials of the 4^th Meeting of OIC-PESNET are available at this link.

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