Doha, May 22 (QNA) - Their Excellencies the Ministers of Labour of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jordan, Lebanon and 25 African countries adopted the Doha Declaration, which includes mechanisms and procedures to sustain the dialogue between the GCC, Jordan, Lebanon and African Union countries, to enhance joint coordination and address current and future challenges facing countries of origin and destination, with regard to African labour mobility to the GCC, Jordan and Lebanon.
The Ministers of Labour participating in the ministerial meeting agreed to launch the Doha Dialogue as a voluntary and non-binding consultative platform, chaired by the Permanent Secretariat of the State of Qatar and the African Union, to enhance regional and international cooperation on workforce employment between Africa, the GCC countries, Jordan and Lebanon, to be held every two years at technical and ministerial level, with the chairmanship rotating between the African Union, GCC countries, Jordan and Lebanon.
The Doha Declaration emphasized the necessity of improving the management of labour mobility, promoting fair employment, addressing illegal practices to ensure decent work, as well as enhancing regional cooperation among countries participating in the dialogue to consult and exchange ideas and experiences that promote sustainable development and benefit both sending and receiving countries.
Held on 21 and 22 May, the ministerial meeting, brought together Their Excellencies Ministers of Labour, experts and high-level stakeholders to advance discussions and cooperation on labour mobility issues from Africa to GCC countries, Jordan and Lebanon.
33 countries participated in the dialogue, including the GCC countries (the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar and the State of Kuwait), in addition to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Republic of Lebanon on one hand, and 25 African countries, including the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the State of Libya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Chad, the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, the Republic of Congo, the Republic of Djibouti, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Eritrea, the Republic of Ghana, the Republic of Kenya, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Nigeria, The Republic of Cameroon, the Republic of Somalia, the Republic of South Africa, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of Tunisia, the Republic of Uganda, the Republic of Zambia, and the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, on the other hand.
Their Excellencies the Ministers of Labour affirmed in the Doha Declaration the need to improve the management of labour mobility, the contractual labour cycle and the promotion of fair employment, based on the principles of mutual respect, partnership and shared responsibility, as well as labour and human rights policy frameworks.
They highlighted the recent increase of African expatriate workers in the GCC region, Jordan and Lebanon, representing 12 percent of the total expatriate workers in the region, leading to increasing coordination and enhanced cooperation between the two regions.
Ministers of Labour participating in the ministerial meeting stated that the Doha Dialogue represents a unique opportunity to address the challenges related to the African labour mobility to the Gulf States, Jordan and Lebanon, enhance its governance, and increase its contribution to sustainable development and inclusive growth, while enhancing regional and international cooperation in this regard.
They emphasised that labour mobility from Africa to the GCC, Jordan and Lebanon plays a key role in achieving sustainable growth and benefits both sending and receiving countries.
The ministers also highlighted the active role played by the GCC countries in the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, launched by the United Arab Emirates to create a common and sustainable platform for dialogue and exchange of experiences with Asian countries to address challenges and develop mechanisms for the mutual recognition of skills, the recruitment and employment process, the role of technology and other common issues.
By hosting this dialogue in cooperation with the African Union, the State of Qatar affirms the importance of dialogue with the African side, given the growing mobility of African labour and the urgent need to find practical and effective solutions that serve the interests of both regions and the rights and dignity of the expatriate workforce.
The Ministers of Labour of the participating countries recommended the launch of the Doha Dialogue to provide opportunities for member states to share experiences, lessons learned and best practices on contractual employment, develop practical solutions, and promote data and research to address issues arising from the workforce mobility between Africa and the GCC countries, Jordan and Lebanon.
The recommendations of the Doha Declaration affirmed the need to enhance cooperation regarding labour mobility to address illegal practices and ensure decent work as well as enhancing the contribution of the African workforce to sustainable development in both sending and receiving countries by developing knowledge on labour market trends and skills required in the future, in light of the challenges of technological progress and climate change, as well as keeping pace with developments in the labour market by providing the workforce with the required skills and competencies of the future.
The recommendations emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration between the public and private sectors, including employers and recruiters, to build partnerships that promote decent work, ensuring that the specific needs of female expatriate workers are taken into account, and enhancing their contribution to sustainable development.
Participants in the ministerial meeting expressed their thanks to the State of Qatar for its worthy chairmanship of the dialogue and its initiative to launch the Doha Dialogue. They also expressed their appreciation to the African Union Commission and the Executive Office of the Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs of the Gulf Cooperation Council for their effective support for this initiative.
During the ministerial meeting, some of Their Excellencies Ministers of Labour from African countries expressed their intention to host the second edition of the Doha Dialogue in their countries, confirming the importance of this dialogue in enhancing consultation, exchanging ideas and addressing the challenges related to labour mobility from African countries to GCC countries, Jordan and Lebanon. (QNA)