Coming in the midst of the multi-directional efforts for poverty reduction in the country, the proceedings of the daylong seminar on "Employment-based poverty reduction strategy for decent work in Pakistan," held in Islamabad the other day, will certainly be found to be not only intimately linked to the seriousness of task but timely too.
For one thing, the main thrust of the ideas expressed by the distinguished participants was largely focused on the reduction of distortions that have been plaguing the economy, and the strategies suggested for it were marked with adherence to the theme of the occasion.
Needless to point out, the discussion did not cover only efforts for poverty alleviation in general, but that from a distinctly different approach of employment-based strategy for decent work, thereby making it sort of specialised job.
Although employment-based strategy has been the prime concern of the educated unemployed or under-employed youth, the importance of it has generally passed by the economic planners and managers by.
This has reference to the missing link of "decent work" on which the seminar was asked to deliberate, evidently in keeping with the aims and aspirations of the swarming groups of variously deserving but jobless men and women in the country.
There can be no denying the fact that one remaining deprived of the means of livelihood would readily jump for any opportunity that comes his way.
However, many among them who opt for it under the compulsion of circumstances, will continue to look for better paid and comparatively more prestigious jobs, according to their qualifications, potential and expertise.
This will also explain the too common tendency of jumping from one job to another as well as seeking part-time employment to fill in the gap between their needs and the insufficient remuneration they earn.
Moreover, dissatisfaction from one's newly acquired job, which may occasionally apply to old hands also, on grounds of lack of dignity, cannot be ruled out either. It will also be noted that the increasing urge for overseas jobs is attributable to this phenomenon.
All in all, the added emphasis on "decent work" should appear as a sort of reminder to the policy makers to ensure dignity of labour in the brave exercise for poverty reduction through employment generation.
Viewed in this perspective, central idea behind the seminar can be seen as being two-edged, that is, bringing to the fore the urgency of realising the value of dignity of labour and, at the same time, enabling the Planning Commission to benefit from it in the formulation of the next Five-year Plan.
This should become all the more evident from the fact that the seminar was jointly organised by the Planning Commission, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Again, while Planning Commission's Deputy Chairman, Dr M. Akram Sheikh, chairing the inaugural session, focused on the need for formal training of labour force and creation of conducive atmosphere for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), other participants, including UNDP deputy resident representative, Lena Lindberg, urged the government to adopt the ILO's "Global employment agenda" for poverty reduction through employment generation based on decent work.
Similarly, the ILO Director, Donglin Li, referring to the primary goal of the ILO to promote opportunities for the people to acquire decent work, pointed to the urgency of creating the right atmosphere for it, saying that poverty can be eradicated only by strengthening national participatory efforts.
All this put together, will testify to the good work done by the seminar towards the need of developing human resources, as an adjunct to poverty reduction in a larger perspective.
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