Saudi Arabia Participates in Asia- GCC Senior Officials Dialogue on Achieving SDGs, Global Compact on Migration Goals

Riyadh, May 31, 2023, SPA -- The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has participated in the "Asia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Senior Officials Dialogue" organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Republic of the Philippines.
Discussions centered around achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Compact on Migration (GCM) goals for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, recruitment legislation, legislative reforms in the GCC member states, and cooperation between labor-exporting countries and GCC labor markets.
Deputy Minister for Inspection and Work Environment Development at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development Sattam bin Amer AlHarbi stressed the keenness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to promote and protect human rights, including those related to labor.
The minister highlighted the most prominent policies and legislative reforms launched in recent years that contributed to the promotion of labor rights, most notably the “Improving Contractual Relationship” initiative that resulted in the cancellation of the kafala (sponsorship) system.
AlHarbi also mentioned the “Wages Protection Program” initiative and “Contract Documentation”, which uphold the most important labor rights.
He pointed to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development efforts to combat human trafficking, efforts that complement national efforts to combat forced labor and human trafficking in the labor market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He stressed that the Kingdom is continuously working on these programs and initiatives to improve working conditions for all workers in the Kingdom, including expatriates, which align with the SDGs, the Saudi Vision 2030, and the goals of the GCM for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration.
GCM is the first inter-governmentally negotiated agreement, prepared under the auspices of the UN and comprehensively covering all dimensions of international migration.
On December 10, 2018, GCM was adopted at an Intergovernmental Conference on Migration in Marrakesh, Morocco.
--SPA