UN MPTF Informal Economies Recovery

This project is implemented jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

A COVID-19 recovery project funded by UN Secretary General’s Multi Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), it targeting informal sector enterprises and workers in the creative industries and the agriculture sector, particularly youth, women and persons with disabilities. This joint project responds to the recommendations of the UN Social & Economic Impact Assessment (UNSEIA) of COVID-19 and implements the UN’s Social and Economic Response Plan (SEPRP).

While acknowledging the existence of a large informal sector pre COVID-19, the findings of the UNSEA indicate an increasing informal sector buldge. Redundant workers from the formal sector are transitioning to the informal sector in search for income to support themselves and their families. Informal sector enterprises, particularly those linked to the tourism industry and trade, including the creative industries and agriculture are experiencing many challenges to sustain their enterprises, not only as a result of the global pandemic but also recent and on-going regional/national disasters.

In summary, the project will intervene in the sub-sectors of the informal economy, with a focus on sustaining enterprises in the cultural and creative industries and agriculture sector. The project aims to mobilize stakeholders in the labour market, increase capacities to sustain enterprises and decent work and improve access to markets as a way to address unemployment, underemployment and business deficits. The overall objective is to improve resilience and employment, production and income recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.

The project immediate objectives are:

Immediate objective 1: Improved employment and business environment in the informal sector through sustainable businesses, access to social security and organising.



Immediate objective 2: Improve productivity and spur innovation in the creative and agricultural sectors.

Immediate objective 3: Monitor, document and evaluate progress, share lessons learned and contribute to recovery policy development and review.

The project is managed by a Project Technical Team (PTT) that meets once a month and a Project Steering Committee (PSC) comprising of heads of the UN implementing agencies who meet quarterly.

Project implementing partners include line government ministries, national employers and private sector organisations, private sector, trades unions, national superannuation funds, organsiations representing farmers, orgnaisations representing creatives and UN and development partners such as UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Australian supported Market Development Fund (MDF) and New Zealand supported Business Link Pacific (BLP).

The 13 month projects is from October 2020 and ends in November 2021.

Project activities and resources can be found in respective implementing UN agency project webpages:

ILO : https://www.ilo.org/suva/projects/WCMS_776240/lang--en/index.htm

Issue 1 (April) https://www.ilo.org/suva/publications/WCMS_779224/lang--en/index.htm

Issue 2 (May/June) https://www.ilo.org/suva/publications/WCMS_799632/lang--en/index.htm

Issue 3 (July) https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-suva/documents/publication/wcms_815061.pdf