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Jobs creation key to stability of Arab region, Annan says

Jobs creation key to stability of Arab region, Annan says

Jobs creation is one of the most pressing challenges facing the Arab world, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today.

In a message to a meeting in Cairo between the UN system and the League of Arab States, Mr. Annan noted that the average unemployment rate in the Middle East and North Africa is 15 per cent.

"And in a region where 60 per cent of the population is under the age of 30, rates of economic growth are too low to meet current labour demand," he added in the message, which was delivered by Mervat Tallawy, Executive Director of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). "Indeed, it is estimated that the Governments of the region will have to create 100 million new jobs over the next 15 years."

The Secretary-General called for greater regional integration, stronger multilateral partnerships and more cooperation with the UN to strengthen the Arab world's economy and improve overall job prospects. This, in turn, will "instil hope for a better future" among the region's people.

The General Cooperation Meeting between the UN System and the League of Arab States, which began today, runs through Friday.