Minister of Labour and Chairperson of the 111th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) H E Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri said that the international community places its trust in Qatar’s safe work environment and the outstanding advancements it has made in labour sector development.
He pointed out that entrusting Qatar with the presidency of the 111th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) signifies international acknowledgment of its accomplishments in labour sector development and its initiatives to establish a secure and healthy work environment.
Speaking, exclusively to QNA, the Minister affirmed Qatar’s keenness to activating effective partnership with international organizations and bodies to improve the work environment and conditions, pointing out that partnership with various international organizations has contributed to the consolidation of Qatar’s active role in international forums related to the labour sector during the past years.
On the relationship between the Ministry of Labour and the International Labour Organization (ILO), he said that the relationship between the two parties is based on partnership, especially since the organization is a witness to the progress made in the Qatari labour market, which in turn reinforced the continuous technical cooperation program between the two parties.
In particular, the Minister said, the two sides agree to continue working together in the areas of labour reform, including occupational safety and health, intensifying efforts to combat forced labour and human trafficking, enhancing international cooperation and exchanging experiences, and developing effective and comprehensive labour market policies that contribute to building a more competitive knowledge economy.
He added that the success of the labour reforms established a valuable experience that can be replicated in other countries, stressing that the State of Qatar is moving steadily in labour sector reforms in line with the main principles of the Qatar National Vision 2030, and in commitment to building a modern and dynamic labour market.
Regarding the current session of the conference, he Minister said that this year’s conference agenda entailed an evaluation of the Director General’s report on the progress of social justice, a report scrutinizing the circumstances of workers in the occupied Arab territories, reports on apprenticeships and gender parity, labourer’s social protection, and strategies to facilitate a fair transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for everyone.
He revealed that the report of the ILO Director-General highlighted social justice and the need for more work to consolidate it and promote decent work worldwide, in order to achieve its desired goals, in addition to the need to form a broad global alliance to support multilateral cooperation for social justice, as this is a goal that the State of Qatar seeks to achieve through its presidency of the current session of the conference.
The Minister referred to the numerous challenges facing the global labour market, including high unemployment rates, weak minimum wages, lack of coverage for some with health and social security insurance, exposure to injury, and various risks during work, in addition to the lack of occupational safety and health measures in the workplace.
