GCC Council of Labor and Social Affairs Ministers
 

Administrative Structure

Firstly: Ministers` Council

It comprises the Labor and Social Affairs Ministers in the member countries ( UAE, Kingdom of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen.)

The Council holds its regular meetings once a year to look into labor and social issues such as:

- Drafting policies and plans to achieve the principles and objectives set by the GCC.
- Achieving cooperation and integration in labor and social fields among the Council’s States.
- Discussing and approving results of studies , the budget of the executive office and report of the director general.

Secondly: Undersecretaries` Committee

The committee comprises Ministries` undersecretaries. It holds its regular meetings once a year. The committee is concerned with the following:

- Studying agenda topics of the council of Labor and Social Affairs Ministers.
- Preparing formulas of joint technical cooperation in the labor and social affairs fields.
- Following implementation of decisions and recommendations of the executive office and technical committees.

Thirdly: Executive Office

It is the permanent body of the Council. It undertakes the tasks and responsibilities of the Council’s Secretariat General , Technical Secretariat and the Undersecretaries Committee. The Office is tasked with the following:

- Following up and implementing decisions and recommendations taken by the Ministers Council and Undersecretaries committee.
- Implementing joint projects and programmes and organizing scientific activities and gatherings and inspection visits.
- Inviting for regular meetings of the Council and Undersecretaries Committee.

Areas of Cooperation and Coordination:

The Council Endeavors to Achieve the Following:

- Drafting human resources planning and development policies and achieving the best utilization of human resources.
- Achieving equality in all labor fields and guaranteeing freedom of movement , residence and employment in member countries.
- Unifying labor legislations, wages and social insurance policies, and industrial relations.
- Drafting required policies to protect human resources and developing protective measures against labor disease and injuries.
- Identifying projects required to care for the elderly and disabled, family and children.
- Drafting programmes to protect the youth, reform delinquent juveniles and preparing joint training programmes in the social work field.
- Drafting joint cooperative movement policies.
- Holding seminars and conferences and exchange of
inspection visits, studies, information and expertise.

Council’s Achievements:

Firstly: Preparation of the Unified Arab Gulf Manual for Job classification and Description:

The manpower is the backbone of the national economy the Gulf countries. The manpower planning programmes in these countries encountered a series of obstacles relating to the absence of accurate data and a national job classification manual. Thus the executive office of the Council of the GCC Labor and Social Affairs Ministers issued this manual with the aim of unifying occupational designations in the Gulf States, in order to find a common occupational language. The manual guides the member countries in formulating labor market information.

Secondly: Diratna ( our home) Programme:

It is a media programme which analyze and addresses part of the social and labor issues and phenomena in the Arab Gulf society, to raise awareness with them and highlight the social developments the Council’s Sates.

The first part of this programme was implemented. It included (30) TV serials , (40) Radio episodes and (90) short TV messages.

Thirdly: Arab Gulf Unified Scientific Manual Project for Disability and Disabled Rehabilitation Terminologies:

The executive office has prepared this manual with the aim of Arabicizing the basic terminologies in the disabled care and rehabilitation field and formulating their definitions in a way which fits the requirements of the field work to assist the personnel and specialists of the disabled care and rehabilitation department.

Fourthly: Studies

The executive office issues a series of studies which deal with various labor and social issues in the Arab and Gulf region. It has so far published more than (37) studies in the social upbringing, child care, social planning, family role, laborers issues and measurement of vocations occupational criteria, occupational classification, vocational health and safety and labor market system etc.

Fifthly: Documentary Publications:

They includes the documents, decisions, guiding laws, principles, frameworks and systems and regulations endorsed by the Council in the labor and social field. More than of such publications have come out.

Sixthly: Recommendations and Outcome of Scientific Gatherings:

The council issues a documentary series which deals with the recommendations and outcome of scientific gatherings and field visits. More than ( 17) of such publications were released.

Seventhly: Scientific Group Manual:

The executive office issues a special scientific series which deals with the applied manuals and guide books in the culture, awareness, guidance, training, expertise exchange, information, laborers and social fields.