Dr. Mufarrij bin Saad Al-Haqbani, Minister of Labor and Social Development and Chair of the 33rd session of the Council of Ministers of Labor and the Council of Ministers of Social Affairs of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, the importance of implementing the provisions of the Supreme Council’s resolution at its 36th session, held in Riyadh in December 2015, regarding the adoption of the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud—may God protect him—to strengthen joint Gulf cooperation.
In his opening remarks at the session in Riyadh, Dr. Al-Haqbani said, ”The vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques —may God protect him—contains noble principles aimed at strengthening the blessed journey of the Cooperation Council and its international and regional standing through joint action programs in numerous fields related to the labor and social development sectors, including the implementation of the Gulf Common Market to achieve full equality in treatment for citizens of GCC member states in both the public and private sectors, the promotion of volunteer work, and the adoption of a Gulf-wide regulatory framework to achieve integration.”
He noted that the Councils of Ministers of Labor and Ministers of Social Affairs seek to build upon the positive results achieved through joint Gulf cooperation over the past three decades, and this effort is reflected in the nature of the topics presented at the current session of the two Councils,noting that the action plan—which includes eight joint initiatives for the next three years (2017–2019) and is based on the decisions of the Council of Labor Ministers at its previous sessions, represents the culmination of a thorough technical analysis of the various challenges we face in addressing these issues.
Riyadh is hosting the 33rd session of the Council of Labor Ministers and the Council of Social Affairs Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, as well as the third session of the Committee of Labor Ministers and the Committee of Social Affairs Ministers of the GCC states, During these sessions, participants will discuss the GCC’s strategy in the fields of labor and social development, the conditions of expatriate workers in GCC member states, the challenges facing labor administrations in the region, and the annual report on the implementation of labor programs aimed at increasing employment opportunities for national workers in GCC member states.