ILO, Qatar sign new 4-year initiative to advance labour reforms
New programme aims to consolidate efforts of previous years and strengthen labour market policies and institutions in Qatar.
DOHA : The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Government of Qatar signed an agreement to extend their technical cooperation programme for another four years, the ILO has said in a press release.
The agreement was signed by ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo and Qatar’s Minister of Labour, H E Dr Ali bin Samikh Al Marri at the headquarters of the ILO in Geneva.
The new phase of the programme (2024-2028) will focus on deepening the efforts of the labour reforms adopted in recent years by further strengthening key labour market institutions. These include the bodies responsible for the effective implementation of the reforms related to labour mobility, wages, workers’ voice and representation, and occupational safety and health.
The programme will also support the adoption of policies in response to the changing dynamics in Qatar’s labour market, such as more focus on skills and lifelong learning to move towards a more knowledge-based economy; exploring different visa options; and introducing new work arrangements and new forms of work organization, such as teleworking.
A number of these policies relate to the type of workforce that Qatar needs, and include, among other priorities, increasing the number of women in the workforce, the proportion of skilled migrant workers, and enhancing the participation of Qatari nationals in the private sector, through training and upskilling, to increase their competitiveness in the labour market.
Achieving these goals requires effective labour market institutions to implement the labour laws and policies, to monitor working conditions and promote safe and healthy workplaces, to resolve disputes in a fair and timely manner, to promote social dialogue, and more.
“The State of Qatar has shown its commitment to improving the environment for workers and employers, and to building a competent and committed workforce, in line with the National Vision 2030,” said HE Dr. Ali Bin Samikh Al Marri, Minister of Labour of Qatar, following the signing of the agreement.
The Minister also expressed his satisfaction with the extension of the technical cooperation programme between Qatar and the ILO for a third phase, and said that the new agreement aims to build on the tangible progress that was achieved through this fruitful partnership in the past.
Since 2018, the ILO has been working with Qatar’s Ministry of Labour to support the implementation of a comprehensive labour reform agenda. Over the past six years, Qatar has introduced legislation on labour mobility, minimum wage, safety and health, and workers’ voice and representation. In addition, improvements have been made on labour administration systems and on labour relations.
