ILO urges stronger worker protection and skills recognition in Africa–Arab States labour mobility

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has called for stronger cooperation between African and Arab States to improve labour mobility, with discussions focusing on skills recognition, fair recruitment, wage protection and social security for migrant workers.

The priorities were discussed at the second Doha Dialogue on labour mobility. The meeting brought together African Union member states, the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, 

Jordan and Lebanon to identify practical measures for improving cross-border labour mobility and the key takeaways are:

Skills recognition and fair recruitment in focus

A key priority was improving the recognition of qualifications across borders and connecting workers with jobs that match their skills. Discussions also covered fair recruitment practices, access to justice, wage protection and measures to ensure migrant workers retain access to social protection when they move between countries or return home.

Participants examined the role of bilateral labour migration agreements and improved labour-market data in making recruitment and workforce mobility more predictable for governments, employers and workers.

The discussions build on the Doha Declaration on Labour Mobility, adopted following the first Doha Dialogue in Qatar in 2024. The declaration established a framework for cooperation between countries of origin and destination, covering skills mobility, fair recruitment, labour-market information and worker protection.

Addressing workforce demand across regions

The dialogue highlighted the potential to connect Africa's growing working-age population with labour demand across GCC+ economies, which are diversifying and generating demand for skills across sectors.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi said the two regions had complementary demographic and economic strengths that could support mutually beneficial labour mobility if managed responsibly.

Qatar's Minister of Labour, Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, reaffirmed the country's commitment to continued consultations with participating governments and international partners, while respecting national policies and legislation.

ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat said the focus now needed to shift towards delivering practical outcomes for workers and labour markets. The organisation contributed technical expertise on skills mobility, fair recruitment, wage protection, access to justice and the portability of social protection benefits.

Regional programmes support implementation

The ILO's participation builds on existing initiatives aimed at improving labour migration governance across the Africa–Arab States corridor.

The FAIRWAY programme, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, supports cooperation on fair recruitment, access to justice, bilateral labour migration agreements, migration statistics, skills mobility and wage protection.

The ILO also works through the Joint Labour Migration Programme, an African Union initiative implemented jointly by the African Union Commission, the ILO, the International Organization for Migration and the German development agency GIZ. 

Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the programme supports labour migration governance, social protection, skills development and institutional capacity across Africa.

The second Doha Dialogue builds on the 2024 declaration, with the emphasis now on translating regional commitments into practical measures that strengthen worker protection, improve skills matching and support more sustainable labour mobility between Africa and Arab States.