The Ministers backed a common approach taken by the GCC countries to develop systems, legislations and monitoring and control mechanisms to combat the coercive labour, human trafficking and the preservation of the rights of workers at work.
The Labour Ministers Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), concluded on Wednesday the 30th session, under the chairmanship of Labour Minister, Chairman of the current session, Jameel bin Mohammad Ali Humaidan, with the participation of Labour Ministers of GCC countries and Yemen and the GCC Council of Labour and Social Affairs Ministers’ Executive Office’s Director-General Aqeel Ahmed Jassim.
The meeting also discussed on commissioning the Executive Office to coordinate with the Member States to update the Arab Gulf directory for vocational classification and characterization, to submit it in next Council’s session; member States shall develop ways to familiarize, on a regular basis, Arab and international organizations, with the achievements and initiatives undertaken by the Member States in the field of labour; commissioning the Executive Office to prepare a study on initiatives and projects the GCC countries have implemented in the field of women’s empowerment in the private sector and means to overcome encountered obstacles, providing that the study shall be submitted in the next Council’s session and commissioning the Executive Office to cooperate with the GCC organizations and research centers to organize a workshop on women’s employment in the GCC private sector.
The Council extended thanked and appreciated to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, First Deputy Prime Minister, and to the people of Bahrain for the warm reception and hospitality they have received in Bahrain, and praised the progress witnessed in Bahrain under the wise leadership, wishing the Kingdom of Bahrian further progress and prosperity.
The Labour Ministers expressed pride in meeting HRH Prime Minister and hailed the wise government’s support provided for making this session successful and promotes the march of cooperation and integration in the field of labour.
They commended Bahrain’s Labour Minister’s follow-up efforts to achieve coordination between Member States.
The Council reviewed the annual report on increasing GCC women employment opportunities in the Gulf labour market, and stressed the need to provide training and development opportunities for female job seekers in order to increase their competent ability in the Gulf labour markets.
The Council praised the private sector’s role in creating jobs in the Gulf labour market and increase the rate of Gulf job nationalization, and honoured a number of Gulf companies and institutions that had been able raising job nationalization rate in the past year, and honoured a number of small business owners and entrepreneurs whom have successfully developed their small and medium-sized projects.
The Council reviewed the recommendations on combating coercive labour and human trafficking, and set up special committees to follow up the issues of human trafficking, and underlined commitment to international standards to combat coercive labour and human trafficking.