♦ Solution Session

From Origin to Destination: Advancing Protection for Workers Across the GCC, South-Asia and Africa labour migration corridors (Event ID 145)

Organizers:
GCC Executive Bureau in collaboration with the International Labour Organization and under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour of the State of Qatar

♦ Key infotainment

♦ Summary of the Session:

Protecting wages and providing comprehensive, adequate social protection for migrant workers is a cornerstone of fair labour migration. In the countries of Gulf Cooperation Council, which host millions of migrant workers from across the world, rapid labour market transformations have spurred important innovations in wage and social protection policies and systems. Countries of origin have also redoubled efforts to strengthen pathways for legal remittances and extend social protection to migrant workers and their families during their employment abroad and upon return. Nonetheless significant challenges persistin ensuring awareness, compliance and effective access to wage and social protection systems, particularly for most vulnerable migrant workers, and especially for women.

The event will bring together ministers, ambassadors, senior policymakers, diplomatic missions, workers’ and employers’ organizations, migrant representatives, civil society, UN Agencies and development partners to foster dialogues and commitments in extending wage and inclusive social protection systems for migrant workers along some of the world’s most dynamic labour migration corridors.

The 75-minute session will feature high-level opening remarks and a panel discussion with representatives from governments, workers, employers and migrant associations. Discussions will focus on innovative solutions to strengthen wage protection and extend social protection to migrant workers, highlighting the shared responsibility of origin and destination countries. A special segment will also introduce the ILO’s STREAM Programme (Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers and Their Families in the South Asia–Gulf Corridor), with interventions from key partners including Switzerland, the European Union and the Ford Foundation. An accompanying interactive exhibition booth will showcase national reforms, workers’ initiatives and grassroot perspective, and STREAM’s vision for inclusive, gender-responsive and rights-based protection. The event will amplify momentum for reforms and foster stronger cross-regional cooperation to extend social protections to migrant workers and their families both in countries of origin and in countries of destination, creating a shared platform for dialogue, learning and collaboration.