NEW DELHI, INDIA – The UAE is committed to playing an active role in global efforts to shape a better future for societies and people through creating jobs, Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization said.
He said the UAE is also committed to enhancing human resources’ contribution to sustainable development.
Al Awar was speaking at the G20 Labor and Employment Ministers’ meeting, which was held in India on July 20-21.
“The UAE highly values engaging with the member states of the G20, as we want to become a part of the crucial role it plays in setting the global agenda for a better future for our communities,” he said.
“As we continue to witness an ever-changing pace of development and technological advancement, regulating employment and improving human resources’ skills have become increasingly imperative to our policies,” he added.
“In the UAE, we have ensured gig and platform workers are granted a similar level of coverage as their co-workers in traditional sectors, by obligating employers to offer them social protections as stated in our laws and legislations,” Al Awar said.
“We have obligated employers to provide insurance that covers workers’ entitlements; currently, 97 percent of workers in the private sector of the UAE, including those that work in gig and platform economy, are insured under this scheme,” he said.
“Over 70 percent of workers are also registered in the Unemployment Insurance Scheme, which provides temporary financial income for a period of three months to those who lose their jobs,” he added.
“The UAE government recognizes the importance of sustainability of systems and the need for them to be adaptive and innovative,” the minister said.
“Our social security schemes reflect a successful public-private partnership. Equally important to the UAE is its commitment to empower women and youth and enable their effective participation and inclusion in the labor market and the sustainable development of the country,” he said.
The minister applauded all G20 member states for “their dedication and commitment to the objectives and vision of the forum,” affirming the UAE’s “preparedness and support in achieving these objectives to materialize a better future for societies.”
The G20 is a major forum for economic cooperation and plays a strategic role in enhancing global economic growth and future prosperity.
The G20 brings together leaders of the world’s largest economies, with member countries accounting for over 80 percent of global GDP and 75 percent of international trade.
G20 member countries are home to nearly 60 percent of the world’s population.