The UAE will host the fourth ministerial consultations on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin in Asia, known as the Colombo Process, on January 21 and 22, 2008 in Abu Dhabi.

For the first time, the meeting is being held in a labour destination country and demonstrates the commitment of labour origin and destination countries to collaborate on facilitating the cycle of employment and strengthening labour protections, said a statement.

The UAE will also host the second Gulf Forum on Temporary Contractual Labour on January 23 and 24.

The UAE Minister of Labour, Dr Al Kaabi said: “The UAE is hosting this important meeting consistent with its commitment to increasing the benefits of contractual employment for the people and countries involved.  We recognise the need for strong collaboration at all points along the way of a contractual worker’s experience to ensure their protection and the welfare of their families while leveraging the contribution they make to the development of their own countries of origin and countries of destination alike.”

The theme of this year’s consultation is “Contractual Labour Mobility in Asia: Five Key Partnerships for Development between Countries of Origin and Destination.” The partnership areas cover development and analysis of labour market related data; circular mobility programs; remittance investment; protections; and multilateral cooperation.

The Colombo Process meeting is co-organised by the International Organisation for Migration, the leading inter-governmental organisation in the field of migration which provides services and advice to both governments and migrants.

 “This meeting exemplifies the way countries of origin from Asia and countries of destination from the Gulf Cooperation Council can come together to find practical ways to improve the well-being of Asian contractual workers in the Gulf region,” says Brunson McKinley, director general of IOM.  

Participating countries of origin are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.  Participating countries of destination include the GCC and Yemen, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, and Singapore.

Additional countries and international organisations will attend as observers.  The Ministerial Consultation will end with the adoption of a joint declaration.

Immediately following the Colombo Process Meeting, the UAE will also host the second Gulf Forum on Temporary Contractual Labour. The purpose of this event is to address issues of contractual labour in GCC countries including labour relations and rights and a framework for collaboration between the GCC and Asian states. 

Various research studies on challenges associated with Asian contractual labour in the GCC will be presented followed by discussions on how countries can jointly contribute to the improvement of contractual employment cycles for workers. Discussions have been planned on how such partnerships can elevate labour standards in the region.

The Forum will also address the role of non-government civil society organisations in realising mutually beneficial employment arrangements and identify means to improve collaboration of these organisations with governments.  A special networking session is planned for attending NGOs.

“The UAE is proud to take its turn in hosting the Gulf Forum on Contractual Labour and we look forward to working with our neighbours and all interested partners on implementation frameworks for improving the contractual employment cycle.  Regional cooperation will facilitate actualisation of the Colombo Process consensus and help to leverage resources toward this end," said Dr Al Kaabi.

The first Gulf Forum was held earlier this year in Doha. The conference is being held in partnership with the G