Decent Work, Social Protection and Freedom of Association in the Middle East and North Africa

SOLIDAR has received a 4-year grant under the Neighbourhood Civil Society Facility Instrument of the European Union, to implement a regional programme on “Decent Work, Social Protection and Freedom of Association in the Middle East and North Africa: Mobilizing for Social Justice  by strengthening and promoting CSOs, social movements and independent trade unions’ role in reforms and democratic changes’.

This program seeks to give voice to all those proponents of change from the European Southern Neighbourhood Countries that are in danger of being ignored, and brings together key stakeholders, including CSOs ensuring access to essential socials services for the vulnerable people at grassroots’ level and independent workers’ representatives (trade unions) that operate free from government interference.

Location: Neighbourhood South: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia

European Union: Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain

Total duration of the action: 48 Months - from 1st of January 2015

Total eligible Costs: 1.114.578, 00 EUR

EU Contribution: 950.000,00 EUR

Objectives:

1.     Increased capacity
Develop the capacity and stimulate the participation of civil society in local, national and EU decision making processes, related to European Neighbourhood Policy, and in particular monitor progress made towards the objectives of the Action Plans and the Association Agendas between the EU and countries in the region.

Strengthen representative and membership-based organisations in the region to contribute to the building of an enabling environment guaranteeing FoA and DWSP

2.     Increased inclusion 
Support CSOs to work with target groups and to involve them in advocacy alliances and initiatives and to participate in regional and global policy-making

3.     Coordinated activism 
Support and strengthen existing networks and coalitions of key stakeholders at national and regional level. Reinforce key stakeholders’ capacity to be involved in policy-making processes, and setup active regional advocacy initiatives.

4.     Increased awareness
Reinforce CSOs, social movements and (independent) trade unions ‘watchdogs’ role and capacity to promote reform and increase public accountability to deliver Decent Work and Social Protection (DWSP)

The activities of the program are carried out by 20 organisations from civil society representatives among SOLIDAR members and partners in the region.

This project page gathers all the latest news, briefings, case studies, country reports, activity reports and training material produced within the framework of the European-funded project ‘Decent Work, Social Protection and Freedom of Association in the Middle East and North Africa: Mobilizing for Social Justice by strengthening and promoting CSOs, social movements and independent trade unions’ role in reforms and democratic changes’. 

News

Find here all our latest news articles on the Middle East and North Africa.

Tools and materials

Social Protection and Social Rights Monitors

The Social Protection and Social Rights Monitor is a tool developed by SOLIDAR members and partners to allow partner organizations and allies based in the country to assess the situations in terms of social protection, decent work and an enabling environment and track the progress made since the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the partnership priorities established with the EU. Most of the reports have been developed in the framework of a regional programme “Mobilizing for Social Justice: Decent Work, Social Protection and Freedom of Association in the Middle East and North Africa region” led by SOLIDAR.
In 2019, SOLIDAR undertook a compilation of all the reports made in the MENA region since 2013 to create country profiles (available below), putting into evidence the evolution of Social Protection, Decent Work and Freedom of Association over the years. SOLIDAR also created a scoreboard to compare both the current state of play of these rights and their evolution in each country surveyed. 

Learning

• Social Protection Advocacy toolkit: Social protection monitoring | European Neighbourhood Policy - Presentation | Social protection advocacy toolkit - Presentation | Webinar on project (FR).
• Training on Local Governance and Decentralisation in Tunisia
• Advocacy Guidebook
• Progressive Lab for Sustainable Development
• Social Protection monitoring - European Neighbourhood Policy
• Presentation - Social Protection Advocacy Toolkit
• Presentation - Webinar on project (FR)

 Joint Statements

• Joint Statement ‘CSOs strongly condemn the use of travel bans against human rights defenders in Egypt’
• A joint statement ‘EGYPT: Travel bans systematically used to silence Human Rights defenders’ voices’
• 44 Civil Society Organizations Call for Renewed Efforts to Ensure the Release of Egyptian Political Prisoners
• Open Letter to François Hollande ahead of his visit to Egypt
• Joint Letter to VP/HR Federica Mogherini
• Joint Letter to President to the European Parliament Martin Schulz

ENP up close

• ENP up close | No. 1 | Are CSOs represented in Hahn’s new Neighbourhood?
• ENP up close | No. 2 | Freedom of association & peaceful assembly should stay at the core of the revised European Neighbourhood Policy
• ENP up close | No. 3 | Freedom of Association in Palestine
• ENP up close | No. 4 | AFET report on the ENP review: a step in the right direction for a more social and human rights-based European Neighbourhood Policy
• ENP up close | No. 5 | Time to establish a new equal European Neighbourhood Partnership
• ENP up close | No. 6 | New ENP: Going back to basics… Yes, but for universal values
• ENP Up Close | No. 7 | How can the EU be a credible peace promoter in the MENA region?
• ENP up close | No. 9 | Rebuilding relations with European southern neighbourhood countries
• ENP up close | No. 10 | It’s about time for a new EU-Arab partnership!
• ENP up close | No. 11 | The new EU-Arab partnership should focus on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights!
• ENP up close | No. 12 | The EU-Arab partnership should promote a rights based approach to migration and development!
• ENP up close | No. 13 | Defending civil society space in the new EU-Arab partnership
• ENP up close | No. 14 | SOLIDAR launches Seven Social Protection Monitor Reports on the European Neighbourhood Policy
• ENP up close | No. 15 | SOLIDAR at the third regional conference on the EU-Arab partnership in Beirut
• ENP up Close | No. 16 | CSO views on a more secure European Neighbourhood Partnership
• ENP up close | No. 17 | Defending Civil Society Space in the Southern Neighbourhood Countries
• ENP up close | No. 18 | Commissioner Hahn’s visit to Tunisia should set clear ‘red lines’ for the Implementation of the ENP in Tunisia
• ENP up close | No. 19 | EU-Tunisia Association council
• ENP up close | No. 20 | Red Lines for the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy
• ENP up close | No. 21 | SOLIDAR mobilising for social justice at the ILC 2016

Photos

More photos of our activities can be found here.

The SOLIDAR Middle East and North Africa Platform for Freedom of Association, Decent Work and Social Protection

This platform aims to bring together representatives of civil society organisations, independent trade unions to share resources and materials to identify best and innovative practices around Freedom of Association and Decent Work and Social Protection though online regional exchanges.

Login below to access our online platform (for members and partners only).

You can also share your social media posts with all the members and partners involved by accessing SOLIDAR Middle East and North Africa project facebook group.