SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
INTRODUCTION
The Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030), also known by its acronym SDGs, are an initiative promoted by the United Nations to give continuity to the development agenda after the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). There are 17 objectives and 169 targets proposed as a continuation of the MDGs, including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption and peace, and justice, among other priorities. After a negotiation process on the SDGs that involved 193 member states of the UN, on September 25, 2015, the 193 world leaders approved at a summit held in New York in a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly, an Agenda entitled “Transform our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ", which entered into force on January 1, 2016.
Economic growth must be a positive force for the entire planet. That is why you must ensure that financial progress creates decent and satisfying jobs without harming the environment. Labor rights must be protected and modern slavery and child labor end once and for all. By promoting job creation with increased access to banking and financial services, we can ensure that everyone reaps the benefits of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Goal 8 aims to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all”. Unemployment is projected to rise in the next five years: in 2019 there are likely to be 212 million more people without jobs and many more trapped in a vulnerable and precarious employment situation. Consequently, this goal reflects the concerns of governments and populations around the world.
The Arab region with a Gross domestic product (GDP) levelling at US$6,056 billion in 2015 –constituting 5.6 percent of the Word’s GDP— witnesses great disparities. The Human Development Report 2016 shows that the Gross National Income per capita of the Arab region averaged at US$14,958 in 2015, the United Arab Emirates registering a high value of US$66,203, and Syria, Yemen and Comoros registering value as low as US$2,441, US$2,300 and US$1,335, respectively. All figures are based on Purchasing Power Parity, constant 2011 prices.
While Lebanon’s economy has shown a high level of resilience, supported by sectors such as tourism and construction, it has been struggling in recent years and growth rates have been dropping. Even after previous periods of growth, the economy was unable to generate sufficient jobs, leading to high unemployment rates, especially among women and youth as well as brain drain.
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Low growth in Lebanon over the past seven years is explained by the loss in confidence that followed the start of the Syrian crisis, coupled with the tense political environment which paralyzed political decision making during that period and played a major role in the drop of growth rates. Tourism, exports, real estate, and private investments were all affected.
Formalization of micro and small enterprises has been limited. Around 73 percent of Lebanon’s establishments are classified as microenterprises (less than 10 employees), while 93 percent are classified as micro or small (less than 50 employees).
In order to consolidate the relation between academic sector and the socio-economic sector, the Lebanese University implemented a center to develop knowledge in leadership, start-up, entrepreneurial and innovation entitled center des Mines. This center cooperates with several NGOs, aiming to support youth in presenting innovative ideas and exposing innovative projects, and developing artificial intelligence skills, by providing training in these fields from experts, and encouraging students to create their own entrepreneur career. For example, the Lebanese University established cooperation agreements with the following:
Challenge to change, ITG Holding (doc 53)
Make Sense (doc 54)
NUDGE (doc 55)
The Lebanese University established an agreement with the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sports and with the UNICEF organization on 11 July 2018 (doc 56) aiming to implement three laboratories for innovation GIL (Generation Innovation Lab) at the Lebanese University in order to facilitate the integration of students in innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial programs and training.
The Lebanese University established an agreement with the aggregation of Lebanese leaders and business leaders in the world RDCL (Rassemblement de dirigeants et chefs d’entreprises libanais au monde) signed on 17 september 2018 (doc 58) that diffuses information about projects related to entrepreneurial sector , and organizes symposia and conference in this field.
The Lebanese University established an agreement with the Association of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Chambers in Lebanon on 24 June 2015 (doc 59) enabling students to perform training in economic and business field.
The Lebanese University participated also to the RESUME Erasmus project CBHE for employability where experience was exchanged during the staff mobility between stakeholders and participating universities, in order to enhance best practices for the employability as it was mentioned above.
The Lebanese Labour Law is applicable to all workers and employers except domestic workers, agricultural workers, enterprises limited to family members and public servants. The DLIPS supervises the implementation of all laws, regulations, decrees and rules pertaining to the terms and conditions of employment, and the protection of workers in the workplace, including the provisions of international labour Conventions ratified. Labour inspectors ensure the supervision of compliance with regulations regarding conditions of employment and protection of workers including occupational safety and health. In addition, they monitor if trade unions and occupational associations comply with relevant laws, monitor compliance with protection and safety measures in family enterprises and the work of private employment agencies. Under their functions they also investigate collective labour disputes. They are also involved in conciliation and the control of work permits for foreign workers.
Faculty of Law and Political and Administrative Sciences
The university also trains and has careers for training in law. That's why he has the Faculty of Law, which was established in this city in 1959, and the Political Sciences department joined it in 1960. In 1966, its name was changed into the Department of Political and Administrative Sciences, and the faculty was later named the Faculty of Law and Political and Administrative Sciences. It currently has 10,841 students.
The Faculty is divided into five branches in five Lebanese provinces, in addition to the Law Department in French, Center of Computerized Legal Information, Center of Lebanese Legal, Administrative and Political Studies, and the Center of Academic and Research Cooperation. The Faculty of Law and Political and Administrative Sciences at the Lebanese University is the leading source of judicial, legal and administrative cadres in Lebanon. Its graduates are sought after in both the public and private sectors.
Lebanon Salary
A person working in Lebanon typically earns around 2,280,000 LBP per month. Salaries range from 577,000 LBP (lowest average) to 10,200,000 LBP (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
This program constituted a comprehensive approach that sought to reform labor governance, design policies that create productive employment opportunities, and expand social protection to include everyone.
As the public educational institution in Lebanon, the Lebanese University adheres to the principles, regulations and laws that protect workers, and considers that attention must be paid to Lebanese youth who face a great challenge due to the lack of job opportunities and high unemployment rates, which explains their desire to emigrate.
Decent Work Country Programme
The Lebanese University also supports efforts aimed at bridging the gender gap in the labor market, and focuses on the following key points in its strategy of dealing with the issue of decent work and economic growth:
Working to restore respect for the social contract that includes human rights in access to education;
Providing access to decent work, health and social care, old-age security, housing, transportation and clean environment;
Providing comprehensive social protection from birth to old age by establishing a social protection basis that provides a basic level of protection for every person in need, especially in the areas of health and unemployment;
Establishing a comprehensive guarantee for workers, regardless of their contracting arrangements or employment status, and basic workers' rights and adequate living wages;
Ensuring collective representation of workers and employers through equal social dialogue as a public interest (unions and associations).
The employees and professors of the Lebanese University are considered public sector employees who are subject to special Law No. 46/2017 (public salary scale law) regarding their wages and Law No. 206/2012 regarding the wages for Lebanese University professors
Increase wages and minimum wages and increase the cost of living of employees, contractors and employees of public administrations, the Lebanese University, municipalities, municipal unions and public institutions not subject to labor law and transfer the salaries of general administrative staff and members of the educational.
Since Decree No. 7426 of January 25, 2012 decided to set the official minimum wage for employees and workers subject to the Labor Law, the cost of living rate and how to apply it, and since the Parliamentary Commission for Administration and Justice recommended in its session of 11/11/2011 to the government “to draft a bill that includes new chains that take into account all the increases that occurred with respect to the inflation rate, in order to preserve equality between the different chains and the privacy of the workstations, in order to end the one-time increases.
The Lebanese University Center for Research and Studies in Legal Informatics
Given that the public administration suffers from a large vacancy in its workforce, and the salaries received by employees cannot constitute, in their current state, an incentive to attract skills, and given that the historical vision of the evolution of salaries in the The public sector clearly shows the imbalance that it has suffered and the most recent large gap between the wages of the different workers in the sector. This has negatively affected the work of public administrations. And since many of the laws that imposed exceptional increases or reconsidered the salary chains of some wires, the gap between the salaries of public sector workers increased, either between wires or between workers in public administrations, and since this matter paid those who were not included in the new chains or ranks.
“Lebanese University” in budget discussions
On August 2, 2019, the budget discussions did not pass from its inception until its approval and publication in the Official Gazette without attending the Lebanese University in it as a "national issue", especially in the words of some deputies who asked before the General Authority to promote formal education (school and university) and invest in this knowledge sector.
“Lebanese University” in budget discussions
In isolation from the state’s contribution to the Lebanese University’s budget from among the 2019 budget, which was approved by 83 votes and 17 votes against, and a abstaining vote, what most Lebanese aspire to is is to protect the first educational edifice that is exposed to campaigns of a well-known organization, which is something that lawmakers ’speeches warned under Parliament Dome.
While Representative Stephen Douaihy preserved the budget items affecting the military and the Lebanese University, Representative Elias Hanaksh called for investing in the knowledge sector instead of committing crimes against the Lebanese University, its professors and students. For his part, MP Bakr Al-Hujairi considered that the Lebanese University is the backbone and cultural pillar of Lebanon, and we need a more open, vital and ambitious budget to develop it. In turn, MP Paula Yaacoubian considered that the Lebanese University should be a "red line" because it is the public space that brings together Lebanese and Lebanese students, professors, and workers in an atmosphere of intellectual dialogue, and she warned that any political interference in the university strikes equality between professors among them and students It also leads to hitting the affiliation to the University of the homeland and thus belonging to the homeland. Representative Enaya Ezzeddine hoped that the government will reconsider the Lebanese University budget because it is part of comprehensive and sustainable development, equal opportunities for education, work, and planning for the future on scientific grounds and on investing in the energies of youth.
In conclusion, the approval of the 2019 budget, which was published in the Official Gazette on July 31, 2019, opened the door for betting on the 2020 budget for the fairness of the Lebanese University and the development of a comprehensive plan to support and develop it as the first intellectual dialogue space and the "minds" plant that has the responsibility of building the country and representing it abroad.
The Lebanese University recognizes trade unions and workers' rights, including the rights of female employees holding a foreign nationality, through cooperation and support for the Association of Tenured Professors at the Lebanese University established under Resolution No. 119/1975 and the University Staff Association.
Establishment of the Association of Full-Time Professors at the Lebanese University
The General Director of the Interior, on the basis of Decree No. 7288 of March 1, 1974, on the basis of the Associations Law, on the basis of a request submitted by the founders of the association called "Association of Full-Time Teachers of the Lebanese University ", with Headquartered in Beirut (at the Lebanese University), based on the president's state approval The knowledge and information are given in accordance with the provisions of article 6 of the Associations Law, provided that the association adheres to its duties under the provisions of the aforementioned law and the law published under Decree No. 10830 of October 9, 1962. Association name: Lebanese University Full-time Professors Association Your center: Beirut, Lebanese University.
Objective : support the Lebanese University in striving to raise its standards and strengthen its pioneering role in education and scientific research in Lebanon.
All members of the teaching staff and research professors who join the university staff and full-time contractors in their unit and branches have the right to join the Association.
In its educational system, the Lebanese University considers the cooperation of foreign professors, and three faculties (Faculty of Technology, CNAM, Filiere Francophone) at the Lebanese University have joint administration with French universities.
The basic values of the Lebanese University, as a public institution, include equality for all, regardless of race, religion, disability, or gender.
The Lebanese University is committed to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and applies its provisions relating to non-discrimination in the workplace (including discrimination based on religion, sex, gender and age).
