Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Eng. Ahmed Al-Rajhi said on Thursday that supporting the youth, particularly those drastically affected by the coronavirus pandemic, is imperative to achieve the commitment pledged by the leaders of G20 in Italy 2015 when they sought to reduce the rate by 13 percent by 2025 of youths who are subject to marginalization in the labor market.

He made the remarks during a virtual meeting of the G20 labor and employment ministers.

Al-Rajhi said the priority of intensifying the social protection reflecting the changing labor pattern is a top priority that enables us to reach the appropriate social protection for all.

He praised the efforts being exerted by officials and teams at the employment group throughout this year, noting that the policy priorities for 2020 are of firm priority in mitigating the impacts of coronavirus COVID-19 on women labor guaranteeing our commitment to achieve the goal our leaders have agreed to in 2014.

Al-Rajhi thanked the participants for their commitments and support throughout the year of Saudi Arabia's Presidency of the G20.

Meanwhile, G20 ministers called for strong social protection systems to support all workers and their families during crisis and recovery.

"We recognize the importance of protecting and promoting decent jobs for all, especially for women and youth, within our domestic and global labor markets," the officials said in their ministerial declaration.

The declaration focused in particular on issues facing youth and women, on whom the pandemic is having a disproportionate impact. It commits the G20 to strengthen support for young people — particularly young women — in making labor market transitions and finding quality employment and to redouble their efforts to achieve the Antalya Youth Goal, through which G20 members commit to reducing the share of young people who are most at risk of being permanently left behind in the labor market by 15 percent by 2025. To this effect, they adopted the G20 Youth Roadmap 2025.

Ministers also acknowledged that more needs to be done to achieve the G20 Brisbane goal, and they committed to ensuring that recent falls in women's labor force participation do not become structural, and to advancing gender equality and pay equity.

The declaration also highlights the "vital role" of social protection, saying that "the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for strong social protection systems to support all workers and their families". It commits the G20 to "adapting and improving our social protection systems to provide access to adequate social protection for all", including women, youth, the self-employed, platform and own-account workers, and those in informal employment.