Future leaders debate green economies and decent jobs for refugees at ILO and Safelight conference

The 4th Annual Leadership Conference and competition, organized by the ILO and Safe Light Initiative, provided young leaders a platform to enhance their leadership skills and advocate for decent jobs, green economies, and inclusivity for forcibly displaced persons through policy discussions and simulations.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The 4th Annual Leadership Conference and Competition (LCC), organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the Safe Light Initiative, took place on August 30 and 31, 2024, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This year’s theme was “Decent Jobs, Digital and Green Economies for Forcibly Displaced Persons,” aligning with the ILO’s PROSPECTS program, which supports displaced individuals and host communities.

The conference, modelled after the Model United Nations framework, brought together young leaders to debate global issues such as forced displacement, green jobs, and climate change. Youth delegates represented ILO and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) member states in simulation sessions, discussing employment creation, gender equality, social protection, and skills development. Khumbula Ndaba, the ILO Country Director for Ethiopia and neighboring countries, emphasized the value of youth-driven dialogue on these critical matters.

In his keynote speech, Khumbula Ndaba, Country Director of the ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan, emphasized the importance of platforms like LLC for fostering holistic discussions on employment creation, migration, gender equality, social protection, skills development, and improving labour market governance.

He reiterated ILO’s commitment to promoting decent work for youth. “The ILO is committed to promoting decent work for youth by promoting international labour standards, devise policies and strategies, and implementing programs that promote, young people, decent work, and social inclusion”.

The conference included a high-level panel discussion that included representatives from Ethiopia’s Refugee and Returnee Services (RSS), Ethiopia Employers Federation (EEF), Reach for Change and the ILO. During the panel session, Stephen Opio, ILO’s Chief Technical Advisor, highlighted the organization’s efforts to provide education, decent work, and social protection opportunities to both host communities and forcibly displaced people through the PROSPECTS program.

Stephen stressed, “This event not only enhanced the leadership skills of the young people but also provided them with the valuable insights into the workings of international organizations. It is encouraging to see young people generating ideas that promote inclusivity and collaboration.” He further added, “This event ensured the meaningful engagement of young people.”

Sharing his learnings as an organizer, Sileshi Umer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Safe Light Initiative, said, “Discussions of this year were not only intense but also incredibly productive, allowing participants to engage deeply with these essential topics, explore meaningful solutions, decent and green jobs, suggest policies and strategies that would help internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees.”.

Elda Mitiku, a 17-year-old 12th-grade student, was awarded Best of the Best Delegate at the 2024 LLC. Representing the ILO in France during the simulation, she debated the importance of decent jobs for forcibly displaced youth. “It was an amazing experience being an ILO delegate. My focus was on extending workers’ rights to displaced persons, and I’m proud my resolution addressing their diverse needs was accepted,” she shared. Elda added that after listening to the panel discussion, she was inspired to pursue a degree in health with a minor or double major in International Relations or Global Studies.

Robsun Seyoum, a 17-year-old competition participant acted as the ILO representative of the Switzerland during the simulation session and advocated for fair labour practices, social justice, and decent work conditions. He expressed gratitude to Safe Light and the ILO for offering such a meaningful opportunity for young people to simulate on the importance of decent job for youth.

Participants at the LLC developed a resolution paper outlining their findings and recommendations. This resolution paper will be a key component of the Youth Action Day, which will take place concurrently with the Summit of the Future in September 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Ten winners were selected across five categories in the competition. Alula Mulugeta and Bethelhem Tesfaye received the award for Best Position Paper, while Yadel Negede and Frehiwot Hailu won Best Resolution. Behailu Seboka earned an honorable mention. Robsun Seyoum and Tinbit Esayas were recognized as the Best Diplomats, and Elda Mitiku, along with Rakeb Yared, were named Best Delegates. Elda Mitiku also earned the distinction of being the overall Best Delegate of the competition.

About the ILO and LLC partnership

The ILO, in collaboration with the Safe Light Initiative, organized the 4th Annual Leadership Conference and Competition (LCC) to provide young people with a platform to develop leadership skills and advocate for decent jobs and inclusive digital and green economies for forcibly displaced persons. Umer, the CEO of Safe Light, serves as a co-chair of the ILO-supported Youth Network Committee, which offers youth perspectives to the ILO’s PROSPECTS Partnership. He is also a World Peace Ambassador and the Diplomacy and Leadership Ambassador for the Ethiopian Youth Federation.

Safe Light is one of 10 recipients of the ILO Youth-to-Youth Fund, a grant supporting youth-led organizations in creating economic opportunities through entrepreneurship programs that promote decent jobs for youth. Through its PROSPECTS program, the ILO collaborates with youth and youth-led organizations to ensure meaningful engagement and promote decent employment for young people by supporting policy initiatives, providing capacity-building resources, and implementing youth employment programs.