Doha, 16 Oct. 2025 (QNA)

Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, Labour Minister of State of Qatar has urged member states to proactively invest in upskilling their national workforces and strengthening technical education. He also presented Qatar’s own labour market reforms, aligned with its National Vision 2030, as a model built on human empowerment and rights protection.

Addressing in his opening speech at the opening session of the 6^th Islamic Conference of Labour Ministers hosted by Qatar at Hotel; Rosewood, Dr. Al Marri pointed to the transformative impact of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and the green economy.

The conference under the theme “Local Experiences, Global Achievements: Success Stories from the Islamic World,” convened a wide array of participants, including labour ministers from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states; heads of international and regional organisations; academics, and civil society representatives.

The session was chaired by Qatar’s Minister of Labour, Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, who was elected to this role by fellow OIC member states.

Dr. Al Marri framed the conference as a critical response to overlapping global crises, including economic pressures, rapid technological change, and climate-related challenges, all of which threaten human security and livelihoods.

He positioned the ICLM as a manifestation of the collective OIC commitment to harmonizing labour policies, employment strategies, and social protection measures to ensure justice and dignity for citizens.

A significant portion of his remarks reaffirmed the OIC's stance on the Palestinian issue, characterising it as a core concern. He described expanded access to decent work and economic opportunity for the Palestinian people, free from occupation and blockade, as both a humanitarian imperative and a moral obligation rooted in Islamic solidarity.

Contributing to the dialogue, Anar Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Labour and Chair of the 5th ICLM, emphasised the conference's role as a vital platform for sharing perspectives on emerging labour challenges. He stressed the importance of investing in youth and vocational training to foster sustainable growth and called on members to ratify the Statute of the OIC Labour Centre to deepen institutional cooperation.

Echoing the urgency of these issues, OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, Ahmed Kouisa Singindo, expressed hope that the conference would yield concrete policy solutions. He highlighted that unemployment in many OIC countries remains alarmingly high, exacerbated by skills mismatches, political conflicts, and low productivity. He concluded by reaffirming the OIC Secretariat's commitment to collaborating with members to create an enabling environment for decent work.

Overall, the ICLM continues to be a premier platform for policy coordination and partnership-building within the Islamic world. Qatar’s hosting of the event underscores its leadership in advancing regional cooperation and promoting inclusive labour markets for sustainable economic and social development.