The Ministerial Session of the 5th Islamic Conference of Labour Ministers commenced on Thursday in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, focusing on the theme, “Innovative Solutions and Digitalization of Labour and Employment Services in OIC Member States”.
During the event, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) H. E. Hissein Brahim Taha emphasized that the high levels of unemployment especially among the youth continue to pose one of the most serious challenges to OIC Member States.
Highlighting projections, H. E. Hissein Brahim Taha pointed out that the total population of the OIC Member States is expected to surge by nearly 1 billion people in the next 30 years, reaching 2.9 billion by 2050 from the current 2 billion.
Consequently, the OIC Secretary-General stressed the urgent need for OIC Member States to invest in appropriate education and put in place policies and institutions that will provide stable and decent jobs for them.
Additionally, H. E. Hissein Brahim Taha underscored the significant role of the ICLM Conference in providing policy support for the OIC Labour Centre. This new OIC specialised institution is entrusted with implementing various resolutions adopted by the OIC in the domain of labour, employment, and social protection.
Addressing another critical issue, the OIC Secretary-General expressed concerns about the ongoing tragedy happening to “our brothers and sisters in Gaza and the entire Palestine.” He urged all OIC Member States to implement the decisions of the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on the Israeli Aggression against the Palestinian People, which was held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 11th November 2023.
The Opening Session of the 5th ICLM featured statements by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, chair of the 4th Session, and the Republic of Azerbaijan, Chair of the current 5th ICLM as well as a video message from the ILO Director-General.
Moreover, six additional OIC Member States signed the Statute of OIC Labour Centre during the Session, bringing the total number of countries that have signed to 16.
In the closed session of the conference, OIC Labour Ministers deliberated on the current state of the labour market in Member Countries and proposed a set of policy recommendations to enhance intra-OIC cooperation in the domains of labour, employment, and social protection.
