‘Arab consensus available to support Palestinian workers’
Kuwait’s Al-Sabeeh meets with Arab labor ministers
KUWAIT CITY, May 30: Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Planning and Development Hind AlSabeeh confirmed the presence of an Arab consensus on the need to support the Palestinian workers, due to their inability to obtain their livelihood under occupation in addition to induced economic losses.
The minister pointed out in a statement, after meetings with Arab labor ministers that coordinated the positions of the Arab nations prior to the activities of the International Labor Conference on Wednesday. Concluding that Arab ministers will lay out the consequences of the blockade imposed on Palestinian workers in front of their counterparts from around the world in order for them to acknowledge the need to resolve this issue. This does not only cause economic consequences but social complications as well.
Al-Sabeeh also confirmed the existence of consensus among the Arab labor ministers to unify their positions on issues of common concern in front of the organization during the activities of the ongoing conference which ends on the 13th of June. Moreover, she noted the existence of an understanding about the role that should be carried out by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as states that attracts foreign labor, as to insure contribution to the resolution of issues of unemployment in the Arab world, especially among young people.
Efforts
Adding that these efforts are in favor of the application of the Millennium Development Goals, which indicates that there is a good awareness on the size of the issue and its implications, especially since the unemployment rate is higher than twenty percent in some countries.
In addition, the minister pointed out that the State of Kuwait has always maintained its open doors to employment opportunities for Arab competencies and workforces trained in various disciplines and crafts, considering the state of Kuwait is approaching a range of development projects in various fields.
Al-Sabeeh also asserted the consensus of Arab countries in keeping the pace in regards to labor laws and regulations with the standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO). However, the fact remains that compliance is subjected to the sovereignty of each state and in accordance to their specificities.
In conclusion, the minister stated that Kuwait have continuously upheld ILO standards, and had also added factors that guarantees a decent life for labors, which ultimately reflects on societal stability and human development in Kuwait and abroad.