TRIPOLI, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and Libyan authorities took the first steps to develop a plan to manage labor migration in Libya.

UNSMIL said in a statement on Friday that the step was taken during a three-day workshop hosted by the Libyan Minister of Labour and Capacity Building in Tunisia.

The workshop was on developing Libya's labour market and fostering youth empowerment throughout the country, with participation of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"The event brought together government authorities such as the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health, in addition to representatives from the private sector like entrepreneurs and young people," the statement said.

The workshop also examined "ways to empower youth into employment, as well as how to develop policies to regulate the labour market," the statement added.

On Wednesday, a working session was held in Tripoli between IOM and the heads of the main directorates of the Ministry of Labour in the Libyan capital Tripoli to "develop a strategic work plan on labour migration management, while identifying national priorities."

"This workshop is very timely, a step towards strengthening labour market integration," said Suleiman Jumaa, Head of the External Relationship Department of the Ministry of Labour.

"This is a substantial step towards labour migration governance in Libya," said Maysa Khalil, who participated in the meetings from IOM Libya.

Unemployment among Libyans is 5.5 percent, according to official statistics announced by the Minister of Labour in September 2017.