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A delegation from the Permanent Population Committee (PPC) at the GSDP has participated the UN second Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) held in Manila - the Philippines, on 27 -30 October this year. The PPC delegation to the forum was part of the Qatari delegation headed by the Minister of Labour.
The GFMD, which has brought together government expertise from all regions to enhance dialogue, cooperation and partnership in the areas of migration and development, is a new initiative of the international community to address the migration and development interconnections in practical and action-oriented ways.
The Forum's discussions focused on four major themes; "Migration, Development, and Human Rights" , "Secure, Regular Migration can Achieve Stronger Development Impact" , Policy and Institutional Coherence and Partnerships" and " Future of the GFMD".
The Forum's objectives were to address, in a transparent manner, the multidimensional aspects, opportunities and challenges related to international migration and its inter-linkages with development; and to foster practical and action-oriented outcomes at the national, regional and global levels.
The forum reviewed the recent achievement since the UN High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD) held in September 2006 within the framework of the General Assembly of the United Nations and the outcomes of the first meeting of the GFMD held in Brussels in July 2007 under the chairmanship of the Government of Belgium.
The Forum also discussed the expectations of the international community in the forthcoming forum scheduled to be held in Athens, Greece in 2009, to ensure that the people-centered perspectives on migration and development remain at the centre of the all governments’ discussion.
The PPC presented a paper on the State of Qatar's policies regarding the foreign labour force and its role in Qatar's development. The paper reviewed different aspects of the foreign labour and emphasized the positive role of foreign labour in Qatar's progress and development plans.
The PPC's paper also highlighted the keenness of the State of Qatar in providing legal protection to the foreign workforce in the country, on equal basis with its citizen, in different aspects of life, such as health, education and public services.
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