The Ministry of Labour has announced that the Second Doha Dialogue on Labour Mobility, themed “From Commitment to Action: Advancing Fair and Sustainable Labour Mobility between Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)+ Countries,” will take place in Tanzania on October 5 and 6.
The dialogue is part of Qatar’s broader efforts to strengthen international cooperation on labour mobility and develop practical frameworks for partnership between African countries, the Gulf states and other participating countries.
According to a statement issued by the ministry, the two-day meeting is expected to bring together representatives from more than 33 countries, including GCC member states, African and Arab countries. Ministers responsible for labour and employment, representatives of the African Union Commission, the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs, international and regional organisations, experts and academics are also expected to participate.
The Doha Dialogue emerged from an agreement between Qatar and the African Union and is designed to provide a common platform for discussions among GCC countries, selected Arab states and African countries that serve as major sources of migrant labour.
At the centre of the initiative is the development of a sustained mechanism for exchanging expertise, sharing best practices and strengthening regional cooperation on labour recruitment and migration. The framework is intended to support fair and orderly labour mobility between Africa and the Gulf through a permanent, state-led and non-binding platform involving relevant international and regional organisations.
A significant component of the dialogue is the protection of migrant workers’ rights. The initiative seeks to strengthen human-rights-based safeguards for African workers in GCC and other Arab countries, including measures aimed at promoting safe and healthy workplaces and compliance with occupational health and safety standards.
The dialogue also provides an avenue for participating governments and institutions to address challenges associated with labour recruitment, employment conditions and cross-border mobility while exploring ways to build more effective partnerships between labour-sending and labour-receiving countries.
Qatar hosted the inaugural Doha Dialogue on Labour Mobility in 2024. The initiative was established to encourage the adoption of good practices, deepen regional cooperation, strengthen partnerships in the recruitment of workers from African countries and advance fairer labour mobility between Africa and the Gulf region.
The second edition in Tanzania is expected to build on those commitments by moving from dialogue toward practical cooperation and stronger mechanisms for protecting workers while supporting the legitimate interests of countries that send and receive migrant labour.
