UAE committed to protect labour rights says minister

Geneva: The UAE will uphold International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions and cooperate with the international community in protecting labour rights, UAE Minister of Labour has said.

The statement was made by Saqr Gobash, Labour Minister, who is heading a UAE delegation to the 97th International Labour Conference. At this meeting with ILO officials, he briefed them about the situation of the UAE labour market, including rights and incentives foreign labours enjoy in the country.

The ILO officials hailed the UAE's ratification of the declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work.

The declaration, adopted by ILO in 1998, identified four areas as fundamental international labour standards. This means that any ILO member state should have ratified at least the eight key conventions, concerning freedom of association and collective bargaining, discrimination, forced labour and child labour.

These core standards have been ratified by the overwhelming majority of ILO member states.

The UAE minister and his delegation participated in a meeting of labour ministers from Asia and Oceania, which was held in Geneva on Monday.

The conference has discussed a number of pertinent issues, including employment rights and the world food crisis.

Gobash held a series of bilateral meetings with a number of ministers and senior officials of the ILO. He met with Syrian Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Diyala Alhaj Arif, Pakistan's Deputy Minister of Labour Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis, Asif Hayat and members of his country's delegation.

They shared views on bilateral cooperation between the UAE and their respective countries.

Gobash will lead the UAE delegation to Expo Zaragoza 2008, which will take place from 13 to 14 June in Spain.

The UAE is participating at the event after an invitation was extended to President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan by King Juan Carlos of Spain.

"The UAE's participation is therefore in line with the directives of Shaikh Khalifa. It also follows on the decision of the UAE s Ministerial Council for Services to showcase the country's efforts in the areas of renewable energy and green cities," Gobash said in a statement to WAM.

The UAE sees the event as an invaluable opportunity to showcase