Dar Es Salaam, October 7 (QNA) - The State of Qatar launched the Second Doha Dialogue on Labour Mobility, hosted in Dar es Salaam in United Republic of Tanzania, on Oct. 5-6, under the theme "From Commitment to Action: Advancing Fair and Sustainable Labour Mobility between Africa and GCC Countries."

The second edition of the Dialogue was attended by HE Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar, representing HE Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, with the participation of Ministers of Labour from more than 33 countries, including GCC, African and Arab countries, as well as the African Union Commission, the International Labour Organization, the Arab Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration, alongside experts, academics and civil society representatives.

HE Minister of Labour Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri welcomed participants in the second edition of the Doha Dialogue on Labour Mobility and expressed his appreciation to the United Republic of Tanzania, its leadership, Government and people, for hosting the Dialogue. He also commended the efforts of the African Union Commission, a partner in launching the Dialogue, the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Labour, the International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration, as well as all partners involved in preparing this edition.

In his remarks during the high-level opening session, HE Dr. Al Marri said the Doha Dialogue on Labour Mobility was launched in Doha in May 2024, bringing together Ministers of Labour and representatives from African and GCC countries, as well as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Lebanese Republic, culminating in the adoption of the Doha Declaration on Labour Mobility.

Dr. Al Marri explained that the Dialogue serves as a state-led consultative platform bringing together countries of origin and destination based on partnership and shared responsibility. He noted that labour mobility has a direct bearing not only on labour-market needs, but also on the lives and livelihoods of millions of workers and their families and on wider economic and social development and stability. This, he said, requires addressing existing challenges, exchanging expertise and developing practical solutions that take account of the interests of all parties while upholding workers’ rights.

His Excellency added that the second edition is being held under the theme "From Commitment to Action," reflecting a shift from defining shared principles and priorities to implementing them, following up on them and measuring their impact on the ground. This includes regulating recruitment processes, ensuring greater transparency in employment contracts, protecting wages, developing skills pathways and ensuring workers' access to protection and justice.

HE Dr. Al Marri highlighted Qatar's continued development of its legislative and institutional labour framework through reforms including the abolition of the exit permit requirement, the abolition of the No-Objection Certificate requirement for changing employers, the introduction of a non-discriminatory minimum wage covering domestic workers, and the establishment of Labour Dispute Settlement Committees and the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund.

He stressed that developing legislation represents an essential step in strengthening the labour system, noting that the real impact of these reforms depends on effective implementation, continuous monitoring and stronger co-operation between countries of origin and destination.

The Minister of Labour explained that this edition focuses on three key areas: skills and labour-market pathways; fair recruitment, decent work and access to justice; and social protection and the portability of entitlements. He stressed that bilateral labour agreements and institutional co-operation are key tools for translating these priorities into practical measures.

He noted that Qatar looks forward to strengthening the implementation, review and monitoring of these agreements in a manner that respects national legislation, serves the interests of participating countries and upholds workers' rights.

HE Dr. Al Marri expressed hope that this edition would culminate in a balanced and practical declaration that builds on the 2024 Doha Declaration, sets out clear priorities for co-operation and follow-up, and preserves the Dialogue’s consultative and voluntary character while remaining consistent with applicable national, regional and international frameworks.

He affirmed Qatar's readiness to continue working with the United Republic of Tanzania, the African Union Commission, GCC countries and all other partners to implement the outcomes of the Dialogue and advance its shared objectives. He also reiterated his appreciation to the United Republic of Tanzania and to all participating delegations, organisations and partners in the Second Doha Dialogue on Labour Mobility.

HE Dr. Al Marri noted that the Doha Dialogue concludes today in Dar es Salaam having made progress towards narrowing differences and identifying areas of common ground, supporting the continuation of this process and efforts to build on what has been achieved, while preserving the Dialogue’s voluntary, non-binding and state-led consultative character.

HE the Minister of Labour stressed that the value of the Dialogue would from now on be measured by the practical co-ordination and joint measures reflected on the ground. He reaffirmed Qatar’s continued efforts in the areas of wage protection, labour justice and transparency in recruitment, alongside its continued work with partners in GCC countries, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Lebanese Republic and African countries, as well as its co-operation with the International Labour Organization and support for the Dialogue Secretariat in a manner that serves the interests of all participating countries. 

For his part, HE Deus Clement Sangu, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office for Labour, Employment and Relations of the United Republic of Tanzania, said the Second Doha Dialogue on Labour Mobility comes at a time when labour mobility has become an increasingly important driver of employment opportunities, skills development, economic growth, labour-market dynamics and social transformation. He noted that labour mobility faces challenges related to governance, skills mismatches, ethical recruitment practices, wage protection, access to justice, social protection and the recognition of qualifications.

He said Tanzania recognised the pivotal role of labour migration in expanding employment opportunities, strengthening skills development, economically empowering its citizens and advancing the national development agenda, in line with the aspirations of Tanzania Development Vision 2050, which places human capital development, decent work, productivity and inclusive economic growth at the heart of the country’s long-term development agenda.

HE Sangu noted that 15,241 Tanzanian nationals had obtained employment opportunities in Gulf countries between 2022 and August 2026 across a range of sectors and occupations. He expressed Tanzania’s appreciation to GCC governments for the employment opportunities they provide and for their continued co-operation in promoting safe, fair and mutually beneficial labour mobility.

He affirmed Tanzania's aspiration to continue strengthening this partnership so that labour mobility serves as a pathway to decent work, skills development, shared prosperity and sustainable development. He also outlined several measures taken by Tanzania to strengthen labour-migration governance, including developing the legal and institutional framework for managing labour migration, regulating private recruitment agencies, concluding agreements and memoranda of understanding with countries of destination to establish transparent recruitment systems, strengthening protection for Tanzanian workers abroad, and introducing pre-departure orientation programmes to educate workers about their rights and responsibilities.

HE Sangu concluded by affirming Tanzania's readiness to deepen co-operation with African countries, GCC countries and other partner countries in areas including skills partnerships, ethical recruitment, migrant-worker protection, labour-market information, social protection, bilateral labour agreements and evidence-based labour-migration governance. He stressed the importance of moving from commitments to action and building regulatory frameworks that ensure fair and sustainable labour mobility grounded in skills and rights, delivering benefits for workers, employers and economies on both sides of migration corridors.

In the same context, HE Director-General of the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Labour and Council of Ministers of Social Affairs Mohammed bin Hassan Al Obaidli commended Qatar's initiative and its leading role in launching and supporting the Doha Dialogue, as well as the United Republic of Tanzania's hosting of the second edition. He also praised the efforts of the African Union Commission and other partners in ensuring the success of this process and the constructive co-operation within the Dialogue’s technical secretariat, which contributed to the exchange of experiences and discussion of shared issues in a spirit of responsibility and a desire to achieve practical outcomes.

HE Al Obaidli said GCC countries view their partnership with African countries as an opportunity to advance labour mobility on fair and sustainable foundations through skills development, fair recruitment, wage protection, improved working conditions and stronger co-operation on social protection, in a manner that serves the interests of both sides, upholds workers' rights and strengthens the working environment.

He expressed the GCC countries’ hope that the ministerial discussions would build on the outcomes of the first day and culminate in a declaration setting out shared priorities and clear follow-up measures. He reaffirmed the Executive Bureau’s commitment, together with its partners in the Dialogue's technical secretariat, to supporting this process and translating the Dialogue’s outcomes into tangible co-operation between the Gulf and Africa.

For his part, HE Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Othman Fouad Belbeisi said the Second Doha Dialogue provides an opportunity to build on what has been achieved and move decisively from commitments to implementation. He said the theme, "From Commitment to Action," captured the essence of the task at hand, noting that the responsibility lies in translating the commitments made in 2024 into tangible co-operation that responds to labour-market priorities, expands regular mobility pathways and delivers better outcomes for migrant workers and communities alike.

He added that the IOM works with governments and partners on both sides of the mobility corridor between Africa and GCC countries, providing an integrated regional perspective on the priorities of countries of origin and destination, ranging from recruitment and skills development to fair and ethical recruitment, worker protection, skills recognition and labour-market-responsive governance.

The IOM Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa noted that opportunities for co-operation between Africa and Gulf countries in skills mobility are expanding amid rising demand for talent in new-economy sectors and a growing pool of young talent across Africa. On this basis, the IOM works with partners to support partnerships that connect labour-market needs with available skills and develop regular pathways for labour mobility, including initiatives related to green skills.

He stressed that decent work, fair recruitment and the protection of workers’ rights are fundamental to ensuring sustainable mobility pathways. The IOM therefore supports countries of origin and destination in improving access to information, services and protection, combating trafficking and unethical recruitment, and strengthening access to effective redress.

The IOM Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa said the 2024 Doha Declaration and the Second Doha Dialogue provided an opportunity to translate commitments into practical steps through the development of tangible mobility pathways, stronger protection systems and expanded partnerships between Africa and Gulf countries, delivering mutual benefits for workers and countries of origin and destination. (QNA)