ABU DHABI, 17 January 2008 — Twenty-two countries, which import and export contractual labor, are to meet at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 21-22 to discuss issues relating to labor welfare.
The Fourth Ministerial Consultations on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labor for Countries of Origin in Labor, otherwise known as the Colombo Process, will have representatives from 22 countries including India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and China.
Participating countries also include the GCC and Yemen, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, and Singapore. Additional countries and international organizations will attend as observers. The Ministerial Consultation will conclude with a series of recommendations and the adoption of a final declaration.
Abu Dhabi will also host the second Gulf Forum on Temporary Contractual Labor on Jan. 23 and 24, immediately following the Ministerial Consultations.
The forum will address issues of contractual labor in GCC countries including labor relations and rights and a framework for collaboration between the GCC and Asian states. The forum will also host ministers from partner countries to GCC countries and Asian countries of origin, representatives of civil society organizations and labor and employers’ organizations.
Various research studies on challenges associated with Asian contractual labor in the GCC will be presented followed by discussions on how countries can jointly contribute to the improvement of contractual employment cycles for workers.
Discussions have been planned on how such partnerships can elevate labor standards in the region. The forum will also address the role of non-government civil society organizations in realizing mutually beneficial employment arrangements and identify means to improve collaboration of these organizations with governments. A special networking session is planned for attending NGOs.
“We recognize the need for strong collaboration at all points along the way of a contractual worker’s experience to ensure their protection and the welfare of their families while leveraging the contribution they make to the development of their own countries of origin and countries of destination alike,” said the UAE Minister of Labor Dr. Al-Kaabi. “The UAE will cement its commitment to formulating a well defined framework to manage effectively the cycle of contractual labor to enhance labor circumstances in the region,” said Yousuf Abdulghani, assistant undersecretary, UAE Ministry of Labor.