ILO lauds Kuwaiti achievements for protecting workers

GENEVA: Kuwait’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Sabeeh delivers her speech during the session. — KUNA

GENEVA: Human resource development is the focal point of the Arab world's plan to achieve sustainable growth by the year 2030, a Kuwaiti official said yesterday. Kuwait's Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Sabeeh made the remarks in a speech during the 106th session of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Conference, which runs until June 16th.

"Development and employment issues have taken precedence in the Arab world, as a stagnant economy has exacerbated poverty and unemployment," Sabeeh said. Moreover, the Kuwaiti official noted that Arab nations "stand in support of the ILO as it seeks to remedy increasingly significant labor issues," as she pointed out that, "no effort will be spared to bring all goals to fruition."

Meanwhile, Sabeeh said that sustainable development all across the world is highly contingent upon a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that Palestinian laborers should be guaranteed full-fledged rights. She also heaped praise on a report submitted by the Arab delegation, which included studies and analyses over factors that contribute to social justice.

On Tuesday, Sabeeh said that the ILO have extolled the achievements made by Kuwait for protecting workers. Speaking following a meeting with ILO Director-General Guy Ryder on the sidelines of the ILO annual conference, Sabeeh added that the meeting discussed the developments made by Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) in terms of resolutions or laws to protect workers in Kuwait.

Ryder commended such developments and stressed the necessity of transferring them into GCC member states and all Arab countries, she noted.  She said that there was a consensus between Kuwait and ILO on holding a bilateral meeting to strengthen joint cooperation to review all plans drawn up by PAM in favor of workers.

The minister stressed Kuwait's keenness on achieving excellence regarding the protection of workers' rights, including conducting permanent contacts with the embassies of countries providing workers to the State of Kuwait.

She also pointed to direct contacts with concerned bodies in these countries aiming to confront brokers of recruitment offices that exploit the citizens of low-income countries. Sabeeh affirmed that Kuwait has been giving a priority to support the Palestinian people for decades, pointing out that the Gulf state offers jobs for Palestinians. - KUNA