JAKARTA (joint Press Release) -- The United Nations (UN) COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund has allocated US$1.7 million to Indonesia to protect the poor and vulnerable groups and offer future solutions that are more sustainable and more inclusive for all. It is the vulnerable group that is bearing the brunt of the pandemic and experiencing difficulties in recovery.

The four UN agencies (ILO, UNAIDS, UNDP and UNHCR) have jointly implemented the “Employment and Livelihood” project over the past year to offered support to the target beneficiaries through three major channels: supporting entrepreneurship training and business development; facilitating access to skills development for higher income; and promoting a gender-equal and inclusive labour market free from discrimination.

In the closing ceremony of the project, the Resident Coordinator of UN in Indonesia Valerie Julliand, said that although the joint Employment and Livelihood operated in a short time, it proved to have a significant positive impact. "The UN has set very high targets in terms of how we provide services to the people of Indonesia," said Valerie, in an online event organized by Katadata and the ILO, Wednesday (20/4).

Valerie said that the heaviest impact of COVID-19 on people in Indonesia, especially women, young people, people living with HIV/AIDS, people with disabilities, and refugees. The project has accelerated economic recovery for those living in disadvantaged areas, especially eastern Indonesia including West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Gorontalo, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua and West Papua through capacity building.

In building an inclusive workplace, especially mainstreaming gender equality, this programme has built entrepreneurial abilities and various skills for more than 4000 women and other vulnerable groups, including those living in disadvantaged areas.

At least 6,000 human resources of state civil servants and social partners are involved in implementing the project – which also contributes to the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly in terms of gender equality and the principle of economic recovery.

The skills gap on the labour market due to COVID-19 has prevailed the project to strengthen collaboration between government, workers and employers to accelerate inclusive economic recovery manoeuvres.

Michiko Miyamoto, Director of the ILO for Indonesia and Timor-Leste said that this short project has achieved most of its targets and even exceeded them. “The boot camp for start-ups has been joined by 98 start-ups. The online entrepreneurship training has also reached 1,634 MSMEs for training on business plans in product and network development," added Michiko.

This one-year project closed with a tripartite discussion on strategies to promote inclusive recovery together with Vivi Yulaswati, Expert Staff on Social Affairs and Poverty Reduction of Bappenas; Elly Rosita Silaban, President of the All-Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSBSI); and Danang Girindrawardana, Executive Director of the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo).

In the discussion it is hoped that Indonesia will take concrete action and promote inclusiveness in amidst of recovery, and that the private sector and business associations need to respond to the social inequality caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The live streaming of the online discussion can be viewed on ILO TV Indonesia.

For more information about the project achievements visit: https://employmentandlivelihood.id/