HE the Minister of Labour Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri emphasised the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the urgent need for the international community to take immediate and decisive action to achieve a rapid and lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and provide vital humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict to preserve lives.
During his participation in the meeting of partners to support the efforts of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in the occupied Palestinian territories in Geneva, on the sidelines of the 112th session of the ILO, the minister highlighted the need to prepare for the post-war phase and concerted efforts to help the Palestinian people recover from the war and rebuild Gaza.
He praised the Recovery Programme’s contribution to the ILO’s strategy in addressing changes in the Palestinian labour market through enhancing employment, social protection, and business recovery.
He underscored Qatar’s backing for the ILO’s 2024 development initiatives, noting that a portion of Qatar’s contribution will support the ILO’s crisis response in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
He also commended the ILO’s persistent support to the stakeholders in the OPT via the Decent Work Programme and emphasised the significance of the meeting in bolstering the ILO and its partners’ efforts to mitigate the severe impacts of the ongoing conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).
The meeting included ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo and Ministers of Labour from various ILO member states, alongside workers and employers representatives.
The meeting aims to reaffirm the commitment of the ILO’s main development partners to reduce the severe social and economic consequences of the conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory through the ILO’s Recovery Programme.
The Ministry of Labour’s high-level delegation’s participation in the partners’ meeting to support the ILO’s work in the occupied Arab territories shows Qatar’s continuous support for the Palestinian brothers. It highlights the importance of ILO’s actions in assisting workers in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as providing emergency humanitarian aid to the three parties of production in Gaza and the occupied territories.
