Over 28 million migrants resided in GCC countries by 2017, with 12% from Africa. To address this growing trend, a historic two-day dialogue on Labour Mobility kicked off in Doha, Qatar. African Ministers of Labour and experts from the Gulf, Jordan, and Lebanon are tackling challenges and opportunities for African migrant workers, particularly in the GCC. Discussions focus on fair recruitment, migrant safety, and harnessing migration for development.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Angela Martins, the Ag. Director for Social Development, Culture and Sport, African Union Commission, emphasized that effective governance of labour migration is one of the top priorities for the African Union. “The African Union has long championed rights of migrant workers, adopting various instruments such as the Agenda 2063, the Migration Policy Framework for Africa, the African Common Position on Migration and Development, and other protocols. We are committed to fostering collaboration and cooperation with member states and regions like the Gulf Countries to implement these frameworks effectively and harness the development potential of labour migration,” Said the Ag. Director at the Technical session ahead of the High-Level dialogue on Labour Migration.

H.E Sheikh Najwa Bint Abdulrahman Al Thani, The State of Qatar’s Assistant Undersecretary for Expatriate Workers Affairs, expressed the assurance of the GGC countries in fostering the sustainable development of the integrated labour force. “We look forward to this dialogue becoming a real opportunity to address challenges associated with African labour migration to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and beyond, and to lead the integration of this labour force into sustainable development,” underscored the Assistant Undersecretary for Expatriate Workers Affairs.

The dialogue included State Ministers and representatives from twenty-five African Union member states selected based on the volume of labour externalization, and eight GCC plus countries. The following are the selected African nations: Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia.  Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, are the GGC countries with the addition of Jordan and Lebanon also chosen for their similar labour mobility patterns.

Technical experts at the historic dialogue in Doha delved into key areas for improving labour mobility and migrant protections. They also laid the groundwork for future discussions. Ministers officially launched the dialogue and unveiled the "Doha Declaration," solidifying a shared commitment to ethical recruitment and safeguarding migrant worker rights.

A broad range of stakeholders participated in the meeting, including the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), relevant UN agencies like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), social partners, academics, civil society, and others.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Mr. Innocent Vuga | Communication & Knowledge Management Officer – JLMP | Labour, Employment and Migration Division, African Union Commission | Email: VugaI@africa-union.org