A delegation from the General Secretariat of the Union of Arab Chambers, headed by the Secretary-General of the Union, Dr. Khaled Hanafi, participated in the work of the 51st session of the "Arab Labor Conference", organized by the Arab Labor Organization, in Cairo, during the period from 19 to 26 April 2025, under the auspices of the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, and with the participation of official delegations from 21 Arab countries, including labor ministers, government representatives, employers and workers.

 The opening ceremony witnessed the presence of a representative of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and the presence of eighteen Arab ministers of labor, as well as 440 participants and participation of heads and members of delegations from governments, employers' organizations and labor unions from 21 Arab countries, representatives of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, representatives of Arab and international organizations, and a number of ambassadors and prominent figures in the Arab Republic of Egypt. The conference dealt with several strategic files related to the future of the labor market in the Arab world.

The conference this year comes in light of a pivotal stage and an affirmation of the commitment of Arab countries to labor and development issues, and the strengthening of Arab union and economic solidarity, in light of the rapid global changes and economic challenges resulting from regional crises and conflicts.

The agenda of the conference included the election of the new members of the Board of Directors of the Arab Labor Organization, the formation of the Coordinating Committee for Arab Women's Labor, in addition to reviewing the progress made in implementing joint strategies during the period (2025-2027).

The Standing Committee for Labor Affairs of the Union of Arab Chambers held its 41st meeting on Friday, April 18, 2025, on the eve of the 51st Arab Labor Conference, and the work of the committee was opened by the Secretary-General of the Union, Dr. Khalid Hanafi, and the President of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry Samir Abdullah Nass was chosen as Chairman of the Committee.

The meeting of the working committee was attended by representatives of the following chambers and federations of Arab chambers: UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, Yemen, Palestine, Mauritania, Algeria, Libya, Jordan, Lebanon, and a representative of the Arab Labor Organization. 

During the meeting, business owners coordinated on the agenda items of the 51st session of the Arab Labor Conference, where the agenda of this conference included discussing the report of the Director-General of the Organization entitled: "Economic diversification as a path to development: promising economies in the Arab countries", a report on the activities and achievements of the Organization during 2024, considering the decisions and recommendations of the Board of Directors of the Organization, following up the implementation of the decisions of the 50th session of the Arab Labor Conference held in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, financial and administrative issues, and the application of Arab labor conventions and recommendations. A note on the International Labor Conference, in addition to some technical items on the agenda, including:

· Supporting social dialogue and strengthening the role of workers' and employers' organizations.

· Social protection for workers in light of the current economic and humanitarian challenges.

· Review of Arab labor conventions and recommendations issued by previous sessions.

· Supporting employment, empowering women and youth, and stimulating entrepreneurship.

A set of recommendations emerged from the committee meeting. The committee noted the report of the Director General, and it was proposed to follow up on this report by translating it into economic indicators prepared jointly by the Union of Arab Chambers and the Arab Labor Organization.

The importance of voting during the ILO meeting on the State of Palestine as a member of the ILO was emphasized. It was also proposed that the issue of determining the rights and duties of workers and employers in light of the growing reality of the digital economy be discussed with the International Labor Organization to take the necessary decisions in this regard. The importance of integrating the informal worker into the work system through the development of laws and legislations related to this important topic was also highlighted.

It is worth mentioning that the Standing Committee for Labor Affairs emanating from the Union of Arab Chambers holds its periodic meeting every year before the Arab Labor Conference and includes in its membership representatives of employers participating in this conference.

Source (Union of Arab Chambers)