Dubai, UAE — Ministers of labor and human resources from 16 Asian countries sending and receiving workers have called for using advanced technology in innovative initiatives aimed at resolving labor disputes and expediting verdicts.
They also aimed to strengthen wage protection systems and facilitate skill mobility among participating countries. The focus was on improving labor market regulations and initiatives.
This came during the Seventh Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) Ministerial Consultation meeting, held in Dubai on Sunday, as part of the World Governments Summit 2024, bringing together representatives from international organizations, the private sector, along with experts, thought leaders and decision-makers.
A total of 16 countries participated in the current edition of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, including nine workers-sending countries: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, in addition to seven workers-receiving countries: the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, the Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia.
Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization, highlighted the role of ADD as a pivotal forum and consultative platform focusing on labor mobility in the region.
“Abu Dhabi Dialogue contributed significantly to the integration of procedures and decisions, as well as the adoption of sustainable solutions for key challenges, offering a platform to showcase innovative ideas, leading global trends, and successful regional initiatives.
“Labour markets are undergoing major economic and social transformations, along with wide-ranging structural changes that impact the nature of work and the type of businesses, jobs, and skills required to keep pace with global transformations, especially the radical changes affecting the core aspects of economic development. This has created a unique set of challenges, imposing new trends in labor market policies that align with the nature of these pivotal transformations,” he further said.
Al Awar’s speech also addressed the social protection system for workers in the UAE, which includes the Unemployment Insurance Scheme, the voluntary alternative end-of-service benefits scheme (the Savings Scheme), Wage Protection System, Workers Protection Programme, and other initiatives that serve to enhance and protect the contractual relationship between worker and employer.
He noted that the Unemployment Insurance Scheme in the UAE covers 7 million workers, while the Workers Protection Programme covers 98.8 percent of the workforce in the UAE labour market.
“The UAE is also proud to be launching the Labour Market Observatory, which provides periodic information on various labor market indicators in the UAE, as well as the outcomes of the policies, programmes, and innovative initiatives launched to regulate the labor market,” Al Awar explained.
Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United Arab Emirates, praised the UAE’s support for Pakistan’s Chairmanship of the Seventh Abu Dhabi Dialogue, applauding the UAE’s efforts to drive climate action, which facilitated the positive results achieved at COP28.
“Abu Dhabi Dialogue has succeeded in building trust and consensus among member states, providing a meaningful platform for dialogue in the region, enhancing member states’ efforts, and promoting them to international platforms such as the Global Forum on Migration and Development,” Tirmizi said.
Manusha Nanayakkara, Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment of Sri Lanka, and former Chair of Abu Dhabi Dialogue, underlined the importance of cooperation, exchanging best practices between member states, and the use of technology to support the governance of labor mobility.
During the meeting, five countries presented innovative government initiatives. The UAE showcased its social protection system for workers, including the Unemployment Insurance Scheme, which has around 7 million subscribers, as well as the voluntary alternative end-of-service benefits scheme, known as the Savings Scheme. The UAE also presented the Labour Market Observatory platform, which provides periodic data in Arabic and English on various labor market indicators, as well as the outcomes of regulatory policies, programmes, and initiatives.
Sri Lanka presented an initiative for a national policy and action plan regarding migration, leveraging the workforce as an economic driver in the country, and supporting development through a comprehensive vision to ensure professionalism in recruitment. The initiative also includes launching a mandatory capacity-building and training programme, listing expatriate workers on insurance and pension lists, along with other incentives, such as housing loan facilities, education support for their children, and an integrated financial system to encourage them to transfer money in foreign currency to their home country.
Oman presented its Savings Programme, which aims to enable workers to plan for additional retirement benefits. The Programme serves as the basis for end-of-service benefits coverage, offering a supplementary programme for retirement plans with additional amounts to be collected upon retirement or termination of service, either in a lump sum or through scheduled monthly installments for several years.
The Philippines presented its integrated system to ensure governance for labor mobility and overseas employment, which includes, most notably, creating government partnerships with labor-receiving countries to combat illegal recruitment, in addition to recognizing and documenting skills. The presentation also highlighted the country’s efforts to combat human trafficking, establish an aid fund for overseas Filipino workers, and reintegrate returning Filipinos into society.
Saudi Arabia showcased an innovative system for recognizing and accrediting professional certificates, along with another programme for assessing workers’ skills. The objective is to enhance the efficiency of the Kingdom’s labor market, promote access to global skills, and create opportunities for professional development.