Minister of Labour meets Director General of the International Organization for Migration

12-03-2023

His Excellency Mr. Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, met with Mr. António Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on Sunday at his office at the Ministry, who was accompanied by a number of officials of the Organization. Also in attendance were Mr. Mohamed Al-Zarkani, IOM Chief of Mission in the Kingdom of Bahrain, along with Ms. Noof Abdulrahman Jamsheer, CEO of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority. Mr. Vitorino's visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain comes within the framework of cooperation between the State Organization for Migration (IOM) and various relevant authorities in the Kingdom of Bahrain, including the Ministry of Labour and the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, to enhance communication and exchange of best practices and experiences, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This step came after the organization opened an office in Bahrain in 2019, especially since the Kingdom has been an observer member of the International Organization for Migration since 2006. During the meeting, they discussed ways for the Ministry of Labour to benefit from the Organization's expertise in the field of trafficking in persons, in particular the training of relevant workers on this file. They also discussed the exchange of experiences between the Labour Market Regulatory Authority and the Organization in the field of training and capacity building, as well as cooperation in the field of spreading and disseminating the culture of combating trafficking in persons and respecting workers' rights. Humaidan reviewed Bahrain's experience in launching specific initiatives to enhance social protection for workers, develop legislation related to the movement and protection of labour in accordance with international labour standards, equivalent to combating all forms of discrimination and address any practices in the field of trafficking in persons. In this context, the minister stressed the government's efforts to intensify cooperation with specialized organizations, including the International Organization for Migration, which is keen to adopt studies and conduct research related to the promotion of social protection and human rights in general. For his part, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration praised the efforts of the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain in keeping pace with its national legislation to achieve the principles of equality between all, prevent all forms of discrimination, and its continuous endeavor to consolidate the principles of human rights and ensure a decent life for all, (i.e., citizens and expatriates). Bahrain is also a role model in the field of preserving and caring for the rights of the workforce, pointing out in this context that the organization seeks to develop its cooperation with the group of partners in the Arab countries in achieving the organization's objectives for the benefit of all.