The International Labour Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees have formalized their cooperation in Türkiye through a new Letter of Understanding (LoU), aimed at expanding access to decent work and sustainable livelihoods for refugees and host communities.
The agreement marks a significant step toward strengthening coordinated efforts to support labour market integration, promote formal employment, and enhance economic inclusion. It builds on a long-standing global partnership between the two organizations and responds to the need for more structured collaboration at the national level.
Anchored in the global ILO–UNHCR Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2016, the new LoU translates shared priorities into concrete national actions. It also aligns with key international frameworks such as the Global Compact on Refugees and the ILO–UNHCR Joint Action Plan (2023–2025), reinforcing a unified approach to addressing refugee employment challenges.
Over the past 18 months, the two organizations have strengthened their collaboration in Türkiye through joint research, programme development, and advocacy. The new agreement formalizes these efforts and provides a practical framework to scale up impact and improve policy coordination.
The partnership focuses on several priority areas to enhance employment outcomes. These include supporting national policies that facilitate access to work for refugees, strengthening pathways to formal employment, and improving skills mapping and labour market analysis to better align workforce supply with demand. By enhancing the quality and availability of labour market data, the initiative aims to support more effective and evidence-based policymaking.
Expanding access to finance is another key component of the collaboration. By working with financial institutions and public authorities, the ILO and UNHCR aim to reduce barriers that prevent refugees from accessing banking services, thereby enabling greater participation in economic activities, including entrepreneurship.
The agreement also emphasizes strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems to ensure that skills development programmes are aligned with labour market needs and lead to meaningful employment opportunities. Awareness-raising initiatives will further help employers and workers understand their rights, responsibilities, and available pathways to decent work.
In addition, the partnership will support livelihood preparedness in the context of voluntary return, helping refugees reintegrate sustainably through improved access to skills and economic opportunities.
To ensure effective implementation, the LoU establishes clear mechanisms for cooperation, including joint project design, regular information sharing, and coordinated planning. These measures are expected to enhance efficiency, reduce duplication, and maximize the impact of interventions.
As one of the countries hosting the largest refugee populations globally, Türkiye faces both challenges and opportunities in promoting inclusive economic growth. Expanding access to decent work is essential for strengthening self-reliance among refugees, fostering social cohesion, and building more resilient labour markets.
Through this strengthened partnership, the International Labour Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reaffirm their shared commitment to creating inclusive economic opportunities and advancing decent work for all.
