Taguig, Philippines – The two-day Asia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Senior Officials' Dialogue on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) concluded on Wednesday (31/05) after extensive discussions aimed at establishing pathways to achieve Sustainable Development Goal Targets 8.8, 10.7 and 17, and exploring linkages to the GCM, particularly Objectives 6 and 23.

The Dialogue was hosted by the Department of Migrant Workers of the Philippines DMW), in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the City of Taguig, and with support from the United Nations Network on Migration (UNNM), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The participants included senior government officials responsible for labour migration from major countries of origin in Asia, namely Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, as well as officials from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nepal, which are also GCM Champion countries, were among the participants.

In her opening remarks, Susan V. Ople, Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers of the Philippines, urged delegates to have ‘bold discussions on how we could collectively define and help promote better migration governance.’

“For this dialogue, let us celebrate and recognize the significant labour reforms in your countries, and across our respective regions, that bring us closer to achieving the SDG targets and GCM objectives that are most relevant to our people’s lives,” Secretary Ople said.

“I am confident that this gathering will foster meaningful dialogues, inspire innovative solutions, and encourage the sharing of best practices. Let us seize this opportunity to learn from each other,” the Mayor of Taguig, Maria Laarni Lopez Cayetano, said as she welcomed the delegates.

The Gulf region is a key destination for migrant workers from around the world, particularly Asia and Africa. The migration of workers from Asia to the Gulf region constitutes one of the largest migration corridors. According to data published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), as of mid-2020, the six GCC countries hosted 30.87 million international migrants.

"This Dialogue has provided participating countries with an opportunity to discuss matters of common interest that affect labour mobility. When you consider that among the international migrants in the GCC, 22.1 million or 71.6 percent originated from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, you can see that we are inextricably linked to each other,” said Sarah Arriola, IOM Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific and the Coordinator of the UN Regional Network on Migration for Asia and the Pacific.

“This is just the beginning of what I hope will be more fruitful dialogues that will hopefully breathe more life into the GCM,” RD Arriola added.

Notably, there was acknowledgement that most GCC countries have undertaken significant reforms to improve the sponsorship system and ensure the respect of migrant workers' human and labour rights, as well as fair and ethical recruitment practices.

However, it was also noted that while some progress has been made, implementing these reforms presents challenges, and much work remains. The Dialogue therefore served as a platform for states to engage in open and constructive discussions, acknowledging achievements, identifying gaps, and exploring areas of cooperation.

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For more information, please contact: Itayi Viriri, at the IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Email: iviriri@iom.int