ILO holds discussions with partners and youth in Iraq’s Al Muthana Governorate on ways to develop the private sector’s green economy, with the support of Italy

ILO Country Coordinator for Iraq Maha Kattaa met with the Deputy Governor of Al Muthana, as well as representatives of the Labour Directorate, the Youth and Sports Directorate, University of Al Muthana, among others. A meeting was also held with the Presidents of Al Muthana Chamber of Industry and the Businessmen Union in Al Muthana, as well as the Directors of Al Muthana Chamber of Commerce and the Dhar Centre for Development.

Discussions focused on how to work together to support private sector development in the area, especially for young people who want to pursue green careers. This includes training young entrepreneurs on how to start, grow, and expand their businesses, and helping them get access to financial services.

“We welcome the ILO delegation to our governorate and express our full support of their projects in Al Muthana. We will work with them as one team to serve the people of the governorate and provide them with all assistance needed to achieve their objectives under these programmes in the area,” said Adel Al-Yasiri, Second Deputy Governor of Al Muthana.

“We discussed the project that the ILO will be implementing soon in the governorate which will involve training hundreds of young graduates who are entrepreneurs. It was a successful meeting, and we appreciate these steps which will serve the young women and men of Al Muthana in promoting entrepreneurship and improving the standard of living for people,” said Faleh Al-Hatimi, President of Al Muthana Chamber of Industry.

Under the Italian-funded project, the ILO will work with partners to train youth and small business owners looking to grow or develop their businesses on its flagship method “Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB)” and Financial Education programmes. SIYB is designed to respond to the progressive stages of business development, while the Financial Education programme equips small-scale entrepreneurs with financial knowledge and management skills.

The ILO will train and certify trainers on these knowledge and skills, including training on green businesses, so that the trainers can deliver the training to potential entrepreneurs. The ILO will also work with banks and microfinance institutions to design products and services that support the needs of their clients. This includes providing financial institutions with practical guidance on integrating "Just Transition"—a strategy to address pressing environmental challenges—into their strategies and operations.

ILO Country Coordinator Kattaa highlighted the importance of working with stakeholders in Al Muthanaa, to address challenges of unemployment, particularly among youth. “Our work seeks to empower young people so they can pursue the establishment of sustainable businesses which promote the green economy,” said Kattaa. “These efforts involve working closely with the Government of Iraq and the private sector at the national and local level and utilising ILO’s well-established tools which support entrepreneurship while ensuring that interventions are tailored to the needs of young people in the area."

In efforts to better understand the needs, challenges, and opportunities of entrepreneurship in the local labour market, a discussion was held with 35 young people, including entrepreneurs, those with start-up ideas and jobseekers at the Youth and Sports Directorate. The discussion also highlighted working within the green economy, opportunities available and ways to potentially pursue them.

Huda, one of the participants from Al Muthana, explained how she has previous training and experience in solar panels and is currently seeking ways to train and raise the awareness of youth in similar fields. She is also looking to obtain financial support that can allow her to set up her own small business. 

Hussein shared his experience of setting up a small business in planting palm seedlings and the challenges faced because of water salinity in the area, which he says has recently increased due to worsening environmental conditions. He hopes that he and other young people like him will be supported to set up further projects.

As a first step, awareness-raising activities for youth will be developed, using ILO’s “How to Work in the Green Economy” approach, which covers a wide range of topics aimed at helping individuals contribute to a greener economy, including information on ways to build their professional goals plan or create their own job in a sustainable entrepreneurship approach. This corresponds to AICS priorities for development cooperation in Iraq in the framework of the Team Europe Initiative TAEUFIQ.

The project is part of broader efforts under the Iraq Decent Work Country Programme signed by the Government, employers’ and workers’ organizations and the ILO to promote employment opportunities and decent work. It is inline with the government's “Riyada” initiative for development and employment, which was launched by the PrimeMinister in March 2023.