Decent Work Objectives
ILO to bolster international labour standards and occupational safety and health in Kuwait
The International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) sign a technical cooperation agreement to advance the work of Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower.
Beirut (ILO News) - The ILO, UNDP and International Organisation for Migration have signed a joint technical cooperation agreement with the Government of Kuwait, to support and enhance the capabilities of the Kuwaiti Public Authority for Manpower.
The agreement, signed in Kuwait City on Thursday November 27, will see the three agencies working on a two-year programme to enable the Public Authority for Manpower to acquire the resources and knowhow necessary to carry out its role in formulating evidence-based policies and labour sector development.
“This agreement is the culmination of a strategic dialogue with the national authorities over the last few years. We are especially proud that it is Kuwait’s first joint UN programme, and that it focuses on the newly-established Manpower Authority,” said Nada Al-Nashif, ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Arab States.
The joint programme comes in the context of supporting national priorities and fulfilling international commitments. In terms of national priorities, the programme will contribute to four of the strategic goals in Kuwait’s latest Mid-Range Development Plan for the years 2015/2016-2019/2020, namely boosting economic growth and welfare, supporting human and social development, improving demographic policies to support development, and effective government administration.
The ILO’s interventions will target the strengthening of capacities in labour inspection, occupational safety and health and International Labour Standards (ILS) to support Kuwait in achieving Decent Work objectives, namely improved labour administration and labour inspection mechanisms.
The agreement was signed by Kuwait’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labour and Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs Hind Al Subaih; ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Arab States Nada Al-Nashif; UNDP Resident Representative in Kuwait Mubashar Sheikh; and the International Organisation for Migration’s Regional Labour Migration and Migration and Development Specialist Michael Newson.
The signature took place on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) forum, which brought together representatives of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministries of labour with several of their Asian counterparts in the Third Ministerial Consultation.
The GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates – together form the largest migrant worker-receiving region in the world. The countries which provide the majority of migrants working in the Gulf are India, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Kuwait has assumed the chairmanship of the ADD from the Philippines and will now take the lead in managing the collaborative initiatives agreed.
The agreement, signed in Kuwait City on Thursday November 27, will see the three agencies working on a two-year programme to enable the Public Authority for Manpower to acquire the resources and knowhow necessary to carry out its role in formulating evidence-based policies and labour sector development.
“This agreement is the culmination of a strategic dialogue with the national authorities over the last few years. We are especially proud that it is Kuwait’s first joint UN programme, and that it focuses on the newly-established Manpower Authority,” said Nada Al-Nashif, ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Arab States.
The joint programme comes in the context of supporting national priorities and fulfilling international commitments. In terms of national priorities, the programme will contribute to four of the strategic goals in Kuwait’s latest Mid-Range Development Plan for the years 2015/2016-2019/2020, namely boosting economic growth and welfare, supporting human and social development, improving demographic policies to support development, and effective government administration.
The ILO’s interventions will target the strengthening of capacities in labour inspection, occupational safety and health and International Labour Standards (ILS) to support Kuwait in achieving Decent Work objectives, namely improved labour administration and labour inspection mechanisms.
The agreement was signed by Kuwait’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labour and Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs Hind Al Subaih; ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Arab States Nada Al-Nashif; UNDP Resident Representative in Kuwait Mubashar Sheikh; and the International Organisation for Migration’s Regional Labour Migration and Migration and Development Specialist Michael Newson.
The signature took place on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) forum, which brought together representatives of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministries of labour with several of their Asian counterparts in the Third Ministerial Consultation.
The GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates – together form the largest migrant worker-receiving region in the world. The countries which provide the majority of migrants working in the Gulf are India, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Kuwait has assumed the chairmanship of the ADD from the Philippines and will now take the lead in managing the collaborative initiatives agreed.