Abu Dhabi: Labour ministers and senior officials from 22 countries will meet on Sunday to make recommendations on how to improve the market for temporary contractual labour, focusing on protection and welfare of workers.
The Ministerial Consultations on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin in Asia: The Abu Dhabi Dialogue will take place from January 20-22 at the Emirates Palace hotel.
"The Abu Dhabi Dialogue will discuss the entire cycle of temporary contractual labour, beginning and ending with national and human development," Labour minister Dr Ali Abdullah Al Ka'abi told Gulf News.
Cooperation
The conference is hosted by the Ministry of Labour (MoL) in association with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Explaining the importance of the meeting, Al Ka'abi said: "This year's meeting is expected to strengthen cooperation between countries of origin [of labour] and destination, while continuing to provide a forum for the 11 Asian labour-source countries to share their views in the field of labour mobility policies, review the implementation of recommendations of the previous Ministerial consultation in Bali, and identify further steps for the effective management of labour mobility and temporary contractual labour for the benefit of all concerned."
"It is also hoped that the participating delegations will agree to collaborate on the development of a future multilateral framework that spells out the rights and obligations of all those who hold a stake in increasing the benefits of the contractual employment cycle. Importantly, the meeting will end with the adoption of a declaration."
Al Ka'abi stressed that increased cooperation with labour-supplying nations will be of benefit to all. "We feel it is important to play a greater role in consultations with other nations, both countries of labour origin and destination, to make temporary contractual labour better for all concerned. We need a comprehensive approach to temporary labour that encompasses the entire cycle of labour," he noted.
"The Ministerial Consultation being held in Abu Dhabi is unique because it is the first to be hosted by a country of destination, at the request of the UAE, and is intended to launch a sustained dialogue between the two groups of countries of origin and destination." Besides proposing practical solutions for vulnerable overseas workers, the meeting will also serve as an informal environment to engage in dialogue and cooperation on issues related to the management of overseas employment that are of common interest and concern.
Partnerships
The theme of the meeting is Contractual Labour Mobility in Asia: Key Partnerships for Development between Countries of Origin and Destination.
The labour-sending countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Participating labour-receiving countries include GCC countries and Yemen, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea and Singapore.
In addition to these countries, intergovernmental institutions, civil society institutions and representatives of interested nations will also participate as observers in the proceedings. They include the International Labour Organisation, the Arab Labour Organisation, the European Commission and an array of regional and international non-government organisations.
The Abu Dhabi Declaration, to be issued at the conclusion of the Ministerial Consultations on Contractual Labour will be the result of collective efforts of over 200 decision-makers from Asia, the GCC and globally.
"The level of participation indicates the priority given to labour issues by governments and the desire by many to achieve multilateral consensus on ways and means to improving the contractual employment cycle", said Al Ka'abi.
