The Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs, Mohamed Hassan al-Obaidli, delivered Qatar's speech at the conference, in which he confirmed that Qatar has progressed to advanced stages in implementing its National Vision 2030 and the national development strategy dedicated to developing the infrastructure and the economic diversification, achieving sustainable development that conserves the environment, establishing integrated, effective and sustainable social protection system.
Al-Obaidli pointed out that the ILO's technical co-operation programme with Qatar has achieved remarkable successes by providing essential innovative and constructive practical solutions, which have contributed to bringing about change on the ground to improve the working and living conditions of expatriate workers, which made it a pioneering model that can be replicated in the region, and primarily reflects what was included in the director-general's report, which underscored that the primary role of the ILO's activities and programs is to promote decent work.
In his opening remarks, al-Obaidli praised the selection of the topic of this year's report on 'The Least Developed Countries: Crisis, Structural Transformation and the Future of Work', which is considered an urgent theme given the successive crises that beset the business world, in addition to the remarkable discrepancy in recovery from Covid-19 pandemic, especially in the least developed countries which are extremely vulnerable to the risk of being left behind. He indicated that Doha Work Programme (2022-2031) has been set for the sake of boosting structural transformation in these countries and leveraging the decent work through boosting the multilateral international co-operation.
The director-general's report reviewed the business market conditions currently prevailing in the least developed countries, including the most crucial themes of business program to bolster the structural transformation in those countries by virtue of formulising national strategies devoted to increasing diversity, economic transformation, supporting the competency and competitive capability, solutions that that can be adopted, especially the strengthening of digital infrastructure and the adoption of modern technologies, stimulating the transition to a green economy, while emphasizing the importance of comprehensive social protection.
The assistant undersecretary commended the organisation's annual report on workers in the occupied Arab territories, which reveals the extent to which their conditions have worsened after the Covid-19 pandemic and the prevalence of violations due to the continuation of the occupation and the expansion of settlement activity, stressing that this requires constant pressure on the occupier to uphold its obligations in accordance with international humanitarian law.
He expressed his pride in Qatar's hosting of the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries during March 2023, affirming that it will essentially be committed to creating the conditions to ensure its success as a starting point for making a change that will put these countries on the desired course towards sustainable and comprehensive development. The activities of the 110th session of the ILO, which is being held at the United Nations Palace in Geneva under the auspices of the ILO, are continuing in which a wide range of representatives of the three parties (governments, workers and employers) are participating.
HE the Minister of Labour and Vice-President of the International Labour Conference, chaired the fourth and seventh sessions of the conference, whose agenda included submitting and approving the report of the Finance Committee and discussing the reports of the Director General and the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The seventh session discussed a number of important decisions regarding the financial report and audited consolidated financial statements for the year 2021, including a decision pertaining to the schedule of contributions to the budget for the year 2023 and another for the formation of the Administrative Court of the ILO, as well as a decision regarding appointments to the Pension Committee for ILO employees (United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund). The activities of the conference will continue until June 11, 2022 to complete the discussion of key labour issues, set an agenda to protect international labor standards, in addition to discussing the priorities and budget of the ILO and the issues of Palestinian workers. (QNA)