The Seventh Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) Ministerial Consultation ended on Sunday, 11 February, with a Closing Statement that outlines a set of principles and priorities for the next edition of the Dialogue.

The announcement followed two days of meetings that the UAE hosted as part of the World Government Summit 2024, bringing together ministers of labour, human resources, and employment, along with senior officials from 16 Asian labour-sending and receiving member countries.

Also, in attendance were observers from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), UN Women, International Organisation of Employers (IOE), European Union (EU), and other international organisations, observer countries, and institutions from the private sector and civil society.

Abu Dhabi Dialogue member countries participating in the Seventh ADD Ministerial Consultation included labour-sending countries in Asia: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, and labour-receiving countries: the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia.

The Closing Statement outlined a set of principles for the upcoming two-year period, namely, the nexus between climate change and labour mobility in the Asia-GCC corridor; labour mobility and skills for a just transition to a green economy; and administrating expatriate workers in ADD member states, while addressing related legal, social, and career implications, and unlocking the role of skills and diversity for labour productivity in member states.

The Statement welcomed the Permanent Secretariat’s reports, which underline the significant progress Abu Dhabi Dialogue has achieved, most notably the establishment of the Advisory Committee, and thanked the UAE government for its exceptional organisation of the Seventh ADD Ministerial Consultation meeting.

The Statement aplauded Pakistan’s efforts during its Chairmanship of the 7th meeting, acknowledging the current standing of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue at both regional and international levels, and underlining the tangible achievements ADD is making in terms of advancing labour mobility governance in the Asia-GCC Corridor. The Statement has also announced the Sultanate of Oman as the upcoming Chair-in-Office of the ADD.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) represents the UAE in holding the Permanent Secretariat of Abu Dhabi Dialogue and managing it.

Established in 2008, Abu Dhabi Dialogue is a voluntary consultative mechanism that aims to provide a voluntary public platform for dialogue on best practices between Asian labour countries of origin and destination. The main objective of ADD is to enhance bilateral and regional partnerships and maximise benefits for workers, employers, and the economies of labour-sending and receiving countries.

Ensuring inclusivity of the topics to be addressed at ADD, the chairmanship of the Dialogue is rotated every two years among the Asian labour sending and receiving member countries.