A high-level signing ceremony between the Ministry of Labor of Djibouti, Japan and UNDP

A high-level signing ceremony, convened by the three parties, the Ministry of Labor of Djibouti, the Embassy of Japan to Djibouti and UNDP Djibouti took place as a first step in implementing the Youth Resilience Building Project (hereinafter referred to as the Project) funded by the Government of Japan. In Djibouti, the high employment rate has been a sticky challenge that the Government of Djibouti needs to address, and most unemployed people are young under age 35. The Project aims to strengthen the existing matchmaking mechanism between unemployed youth and employers, mainly private corporations who constantly look for skilled laborers. In addition, the Project is also designed to increase awareness to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among government officials and business owners in mitigating the impact of the pandemic.

UNDP Djibouti's Resident Representative Ms. Fatima Elsheikh pleasantly shared her sentiment on how meaningful this Project is for Djiboutian youth and how much it will contribute to the acceleration of SDGs implementation. She highlighted that the Project will harness potentials and creativity of Djiboutian youth, and they will build a stronger and more resilient Djibouti.

Japanese Ambassador, H.E. Koji Yonetani remarked that the Project must be a significant catalyst to promote employability among Djiboutian youth to be resilient and strengthen further the partnership between Djibouti, UNDP and Japan. He also reiterated that the Project will enable job seekers to understand employers' requirements and what skills they need to be equipped with.  

Labor Minister H.E. Ibrahim Robleh appreciated the support from Japan who is Djibouti's long standing political partner and commended continued efforts of UNDP for nurturing capacities of Djiboutian youth and creating a better future for the African nation. He stated that today is a special day for all the three parties to celebrate the inauguration of the Project. Under the pandemic of COVID-19, a significant number of Djiboutian young people have suffered from losing their jobs and educational opportunities. The Project will be their hope and we must continuously work hard to keep them being passionate to be a driving force for sustainable economic growth in Djibouti.