Doha: Preparatory meetings for the Doha Dialogue on Labour Mobility between Gulf and African Countries were held today in Doha under the chairmanship of HE Assistant Undersecretary for Migrant Labour Affairs at the Ministry of Labour Shaikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman Al-Thani, with the participation of 33 countries representing the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jordan, Lebanon and 25 African countries, in addition to representatives from the African Commission, the Executive Council of GCC Labour Ministers, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), experts, academics, and representatives of civil society.
In her opening remarks, HE Assistant Undersecretary for Migrant Labour Affairs at the Ministry of Labour Shaikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman Al-Thani affirmed that the agreement between the GCC states, Jordan, Lebanon, and the African Union to launch the “Doha Dialogue” is part of the collaboration and partnership among nations aimed at supporting and enhanci
ng expatriate labour to achieve development goals, which requires collective efforts and a coordinated approach to enhance the protection of expatriate labour.
HE the Assistant Undersecretary for Migrant Labour Affairs at the Ministry of Labour explained that the “Doha Dialogue” aims to provide a public platform for dialogue among the participating countries, through which ideas and experiences are exchanged to achieve best practices that enhance regional cooperation efforts and partnerships for mutual benefit.
Her Excellency pointed out that the GCC states, Jordan, and Lebanon recognize the positive contribution of expatriate labour to achieving sustainable development goals. Therefore, these countries have taken significant steps at the national level to align with international efforts in terms of labour mobility, introducing various legislative measures and reforms to protect expatriate labours and enhance their mobility in the labour market.
Head of the Department of Social Development, Culture and Sp
orts at the African Union Commission Angela Martins said that the labour mobility from Africa to the Gulf countries is the result of multiple factors, including the search for better economic opportunities and geographical proximity, noting that African expatriate workers account for 12 per cent of the total number of expatriate workers in the GCC amid expectations that this number will continue to rise.
She explained that African labour contributes to unlocking important aspects of the economy and promotes development and growth in both sending and receiving countries, noting the role of African workers in supporting various economic sectors in the GCC countries, as well as their remittances as a major source of income for their families, which contributes significantly to providing them with decent livelihoods.
Angela Martins said that the dialogue is timely as it will provide a platform for open dialogue between African countries of origin and destination countries in the GCC, Jordan and Lebanon, adding
that it is expected to serve as a strategic tool to promote the development of well-defined employment practices.
Director of the Labour Affairs Department at the Executive Office of the GCC Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs Khalil Hazza said that the first edition of the Doha Dialogue comes at a crucial time, as the world is witnessing multiple challenges, such as rapid technological changes, economic transformations, climate change, and other challenges that are having an impact on labour markets and labour mobility.
He added that the Doha Dialogue reflects our shared commitment to strengthening cooperation and developing legislation and practices to ensure fair and safe labour mobility pathways and enhance their benefits for all parties.
In this context, he pointed out that the Executive Office of the GCC Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs is working with its partners in the ministries of labour in the GCC countries to regulate the work environment through the formulation of a GCC strategic pro
gram for occupational safety and health, and another to address heat stress, address absenteeism, protect wages, enhance remedies and strengthen social protection frameworks for national and expatriate workers. He said that the GCC countries continue to implement and design several initiatives aimed at strengthening the labour system, stressing the openness of the GCC countries to share and transfer their experiences and practices with regional and international partners, as well as to learn about best experiences and practices in sending countries in Africa.
The Director of the Department of Labour Affairs at the Executive Office of the GCC Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs affirmed the GCC countries’ support for the State of Qatar’s idea to establish a regional dialogue with African labour-sending countries, building on the successes achieved through the Abu Dhabi dialogue, which concluded its seventh edition earlier this year, and its desire to open areas of dialogue with regional and international p
artners for the benefit of all, especially in light of the steady increase of African expatriate workers to the GCC countries and to Jordan and Lebanon.
The “Doha Dialogue” arises from an agreement between the State of Qatar and the African Union aimed at establishing a consultative mechanism between Gulf and African nations. This mechanism will foster the implementation of best practices to bolster regional collaboration and partnerships, with a focus on improving the recruitment processes for labour from African countries.
The “Doha Dialogue” is envisioned to be a permanent, non-binding forum led by states, involving various relevant organizations as observers. This platform will facilitate an open and honest exchange of ideas, promoting trust, cooperation, and partnership, and striving to set the highest standards for labour mobility from African nations.
Source: Qatar News Agency
