(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Minister of Labour H E Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri chaired the ministerial meeting of the“Doha Dialogue” on labour mobility between the Gulf and African countries, attended by Their Excellencies and Ministers of Labour from 33 participating countries, representatives of the African Commission, and the Executive Council of Labour Ministers of the GCC, along with representatives from international organizations.
Minister of Labour said that the Doha Dialogue initiative comes within the framework of Qatar's alignment with international and regional interest in the issue of migrant labour, based on national constants that respect human rights, support the rule of law, and regional and international openness to achieve sustainable development goals globally.
He emphasised the state's commitment to supporting international cooperation and global partnerships to enhance joint coordination and address future challenges facing origin and destination countries to achieve mutual benefits and enhance the social and economic gains from migrant labour.
During his opening speech at the ministerial session, the Minister highlighted the rising numbers of African migrant workers in the Gulf region.
Minister of Labour H E Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri and Their Excellencies Ministers of Labour during the meeting.
He noted that this increase, especially in comparison to Asian labour, underscores the need to include the topic of African labour mobility in cooperation mechanisms between countries and establish multifaceted partnerships for enhanced consultation.
Al Marri emphasised that Qatar's third national development strategy focuses on attracting skilled migrant labour as partners in Qatar's developmental journey towards a modern and competitive labour market that keeps pace with technological transformations and contributes to a productive, diverse, and innovation-driven economy.
He clarified that Qatar has adopted an ambitious program to modernize and develop its legislative system in line with international standards and Qatar's national vision, affirming the state's commitment to enhancing a safe and healthy work environment through the issuance of a new ministerial decree regarding necessary precautions to protect workers from heat stress, adopting a labour inspection policy, and a safety and health at work policy.
He noted the state's commitment to caring for migrant workers from the African continent according to legal principles and international standards that ensure the protection of residents, highlighting bilateral relations with African labour-exporting countries to ensure labour mobility according to labour market needs and required skills.
He explained that an official announcement will be made about the launch of the dialogue between GCC countries, Jordan, Lebanon, and African countries, noting that it is expected to be a voluntary, non-binding forum and a continuous platform to enhance coordination between sending and receiving countries for migrant labour from the African continent and improve the contractual work cycle in a way that respects national priorities and achieves mutual interests.
Ambassador Minata Samate, representative of the African Union Commission for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, confirmed that the launch of the“Doha Dialogue” came at an appropriate time given the many challenges in managing labour mobility, requiring concerted efforts between Africa, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Jordan, and Lebanon to achieve the goals of this dialogue.
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