The Doha Dialogue Paves the Way for Improved Labor Mobility Governance Between Africa and the Middle East

© ILO

Doha, Qatar (ILO News)-The launch of the "Doha Dialogue" on Labour Mobility between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the African Union (AU), held on May 21-22, 2024, in Doha, Qatar, provided a crucial step in the efforts to enhance labour mobility governance and protection of migrant workers' rights. This event brought together ministers, senior officials, and representatives from the African countries, including Algeria, Libya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Cameroon, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Ethiopia. From the middle eastern countries, participants included representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon. The event also saw participation from regional social partners, namely ITUC Africa, OATUU, Business Africa, and the Arab League Trade Union, along with the RECs. The ILO and IOM participated as observers, providing valuable insights and expertise. 

The background to this dialogue is rooted in the rapid rise of labour migration from Africa to the GCC, Jordan, and Lebanon. The geographical proximity and the push factors, such as slow economic growth in some African countries have compelled many migrant workers to seek job opportunities abroad. Recognising the social and economic benefits of labour mobility and the necessity for a collective and harmonised approach to protecting migrant workers, the GCC, Jordan, Lebanon, and AUC member states initiated this dialogue. The number of migrant workers in the GCC, Jordan, and Lebanon has increased significantly over the years, with African expatriates constituting a notable proportion.  

Unlike Asian workers, the migration of African workers to the Gulf region is relatively recent. This mobility has been influenced by several factors, including the increasing involvement of the private sector and the rising demand for migrant workers in various sectors such as domestic work, agriculture, construction, logistics, travel, hospitality, and other service sectors. These sectors predominantly attract low and semi-skilled migrant workers. 

In this context, the State of Qatar and the AU agreed to launch the Doha Dialogue on labour mobility, in order to create a public platform for dialogue between African countries as countries of origin and the GCC, Jordan, and Lebanon as countries of destination, enabling the exchange of emerging ideas and experiences. This dialogue promoted best practices that enhance interregional cooperation efforts and foster partnerships aimed at improving the contractual work cycle of migrant workers and entrenching human rights-based protection measures. The dialogue is envisaged as a strategic vehicle to promote regular migration pathways through fair recruitment practices, ensuring the mobility of migrant workers from African countries is safe, orderly, and regular. 

The event began with a technical meeting on May 21, followed by a ministerial meeting on May 22. During the technical meeting, participants discussed the terms of reference and modalities of the dialogue. Presentations were made on advancing fair recruitment practices, both from the African perspective and within the GCC. Country representatives shared progress reports on labour mobility reforms, highlighting the efforts made to improve labour migration governance and protection of migrant workers. The ministerial meeting featured speeches from participating ministers, highlighting the importance of effective governance of labour mobility. Perspectives from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on trends, issues, and opportunities in labour migration governance were presented. 

The key outcome of the dialogue was the establishment of a process to address issues pertaining to labour migration in the Africa-Gulf Corridor. This process aims to broaden the base for a common understanding of labour migration issues and influence practices and policies in both regions. With the adoption of the Doha Declaration, member states established a framework for future dialogue and cooperation between the two regions and paved the way for ongoing dialogue every two years, fostering a spirit of cooperation and partnership.