Tue, Dec 17, 2024 | Jumada al-Aakhirah 16, 1446 | DXB ktweather icon0°C

Asia-Gulf labour rights: Pakistan to chair Abu Dhabi Dialogue for 2 years

Top Stories

Dubai - 'It will help to create a better eco-system for labour rights'

Published: Tue 10 Aug 2021, 12:06 PM

Starting later this year, Pakistan will chair the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD), a forum to discuss matters related to manpower between Asian and Gulf countries, for the next two years.

Established in 2008, the ADD’s members include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam and six Gulf countries as well as Malaysia.

Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, former special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, said this is a huge recognition of PM Imran Khan’s work for overseas labour rights.

He said it will help to create a better eco-system for labour rights, empower and ensure the protection of workers and skill up-gradation of the labourers.

“It’s a privilege for Pakistan to chair the upcoming Abu Dhabi Dialogue being held later this year for a period of the next two years. This honour comes for the first time since Dialogue’s inception in 2008 from among 18 nations. We thank ADD and all member states. We hope to chair with fruitful insight,” said Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari.

Regular observers include the International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Labour Organization (ILO), private sector and civil society representatives. The permanent secretariat is provided by the UAE, and the current chair-in-office is Sri Lanka.

Civil society members have been invited to contribute to the dialogue in recent years and also become a partner in some programmes.

The Abu Dhabi Dialogue aims to enable safe, orderly and regular labour migration in some of the world’s largest temporary labour migration corridors. Through multi-lateral dialogue and cooperation on the joint development of labour mobility-related programming, implementation, and reporting, the ADD helps to ensure that member states develop partnerships for adopting best practices, and are in a position to learn from one another’s experience.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com



Next Story