Geneva, June 10 (QNA) - HE ILO Regional Director for Arab States Dr. Ruba Jaradat said that the reforms achieved by the State of Qatar in the field of the labor market in recent years, which were implemented in record time and at a rapid pace, were exemplar, stressing that the organization appreciates and commends the reforms witnessed by the labor market in Qatar in recent years.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the International Labor Conference in its 110th session currently being held in Geneva, Jaradat stressed the close and continuous cooperation between the State of Qatar and the ILO to further develop all these reforms, with a view to addressing some minor problems in application. She said that the reforms that Qatar has witnessed in the labor market field are great and have been implemented in record time.
She pointed out that the ILO office in Qatar has been operating in Doha for more than four years. That period witnessed great progress and a remarkable pace in the labor market, which was a celebration of those achievements that have been and are still being achieved, and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will also be an opportunity to celebrate these achievements. She pointed out that the State of Qatar did not hesitate to achieve reforms in the labor market, as it continued to do so even in the darkest conditions that the world witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reform process continued, whether related to the sponsorship system or occupational safety and health and wages, as well as with domestic workers, labor courts, voice of workers, and others.
Her Excellency indicated that there are major developments in terms of new laws and policies, and important developments in terms of institutions' ability to ensure a more effective application of these laws and policies, and to increase partnerships with a large number of stakeholders, especially representatives of workers and employers. She explained that one of the major achievements in labor market reform in Qatar so far has been the ability of workers to change jobs without prior consent from their employers. This reform allowed greater labor mobility in the country, improved workers' conditions, companies have also benefited as they are able to hire workers locally and find workers that better match their needs, and in return Qatar economy benefits from retaining skills and experience within the country.
The Regional Director for Arab States at the ILO stressed that it is of paramount importance that the reforms taking place align with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to build a more competitive and diversified, knowledge-based economy where the most attractive labor market in Qatar will allow it to compete globally for attracting talent and investment. She also noted the flourishing of social dialogue and cooperation in the workplace at the enterprise level, as for the first time in the region, there are joint committees with elected representatives of foreign workers to discuss workplace issues with employers, and it has proven to be good for workers and employers, because problems are resolved before they escalate which create more stable and productive workplaces.
Regarding the agreement signed between the State of Qatar and the ILO in 2017, Her Excellency said, in her statement to QNA, that the evaluation conducted by the International Organization for the first phase of technical cooperation between the State of Qatar and the organization for the period 2017/2021 was very positive. The results of the first phase were officially launched in the presence of all partners and relevant stakeholders who expressed their happiness with the results and achievements made by the State of Qatar in this regard, describing the results achieved in the first phase as "rare", as she said in this context that the ILO is working in more than 140 countries around the world, and it's rare to see change happen at this pace.
The regional director for Arab States at the ILO explained that the first stage made fundamental changes at the legislative level. In the first year after the introduction of these reforms, more than 240 thousand workers changed their employers, which is a large proportion of the workforce which has changed the dynamic between workers and employers. Moreover, since the minimum wage was set, more than 280,000 workers (13 percent of the workforce) have seen their wages increase.
Her Excellency told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that in regard to the second phase of the technical cooperation agreement, there are recommendations included in the evaluation of the first phase that will be worked on during the second phase that has already begun, which focuses on implementing the labor reform agenda by strengthening the various institutions of labor administration.
Dr. Ruba Jaradat also stressed the importance of benefiting from the successful experience of reforms made in the Qatari labor market and generalizing them, as there are many good practices that have been followed in Qatar that can be shared with other countries in the region and abroad. These practices include, for example, setting a minimum non-discriminatory wages which include minimum thresholds for food and housing, while heat stress legislation strengthens worker protections from one of Qatar's main occupational risks, one that more workers in other regions around the world will face with climate change.
The ILO Regional Director spoke about future cooperation between the organization and the State of Qatar, stressing the desire to continue long-term cooperation between the two parties through the Regional Office for Arab States, and revealed discussions between the two sides in a formula to establish long-term cooperation in areas of work exceeding current project.
On the other hand, Dr. Ruba Jaradat spoke about the support provided by the ILO's regional office to Arab States, explaining that the organization has expanded and deepened its participation with the government, employers and workers in Arab countries. The Regional office for Arab States works in 12 Arab countries in Asia to promote social justice and decent work opportunities through sustainable facilities, increasing productivity and growth with equality, saying that this has been achieved through several initiatives and projects, most of which are within the framework of "Decent Work Country Programs" where the organization follows a comprehensive and participatory approach in preparation of these programs. The projects are agreed upon with tripartite partners (governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations) in each country, in line with Sustainable Development Goals - 2030 Agenda and with each country’s national development strategies.
In her statement to QNA, Her Excellency pointed out that the ILO supports governments, workers and employers in the region in several areas, the most important of which are labor standards and rights, ILO conventions and recommendations, social dialogue, social protection, occupational safety and health, employment and creating decent job opportunities, establishments development, legislation, work regulations, labor policies, expatriate workers, gender equality and non-discrimination, child labor, skills, educational system, vocational and technical training and others.
On the other hand, the ILO's Regional Director for Arab States stressed that the series of crises witnessed by some countries in the Arab region emphasized the importance of providing sufficient job opportunities to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of the affected population and also for progress towards long-term development and social stability. She explained that the ILO It cooperates in this regard with countries experiencing crises and conflicts as well as with neighboring countries, development partners and donor countries, to increase economic opportunities in these countries and create job opportunities in them by encouraging job-rich national labor plans based on decent work principles.
She said that the Arab region, like other regions in the entire world, has been fundamentally affected by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years. However, the cooperation between the organization and Arab countries has continued, especially in activities aimed at responding to the challenges of the pandemic. Many achievements have been made during the pandemic to mitigate the effects of the spread of the virus and closures on people's daily lives. She explained that the organization provided, in the past two years, support to member states from the Arab states region more than 100 development cooperation projects, through Decent Work Country Programs and within the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
At the conclusion of her statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dr. Ruba Jaradat, Regional Director for Arab States at the ILO said that the International Labor Organization, after celebrating its centenary in 2019, its programs in Arab countries focus today on the opportunities and challenges posed by the second century of its work, through The Future of Work initiative, specifically the Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, which calls for the adoption of a " human-centered approach" to increase investment in human capabilities, work institutions, and in decent and sustainable work. (QNA)