strategic vision

Type: Inter-regional forum on migration (regions covered: Asia and the Middle East)

Formal association with regional or multi-stakeholder organization: none

Established: 2008

Objectives

The Ministerial Consultation on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labor for Countries of Origin and Destination in Asia or Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) launched a collaborative approach to address development in temporary labor mobility in Asia. It was initiated to broaden the base for common understanding of issues and to influence practices and policies in the area of ​​contractual labor for the region.

 

Current Thematic Focus

The Abu Dhabi Dialogue focuses on developing four key, action-oriented partnerships between countries of origin and destination for development around the subject of temporary contractual labor, based on a notion of partnership and shared responsibility:

  • Developing and sharing knowledge on labor market trends, skills profiles, workers and remittances policies and flows, and the relationship to development;
  • Building capacity for more effective matching of labor supply and demand;
  • Preventing irregular recruitment and promoting welfare and protection measures for contractual workers; and
  • Developing a framework for a comprehensive approach to managing the entire cycle of temporary contractual work that fosters the mutual interest of countries of origin and destination.

Chairing Country

  • Current Chair: Oman (2024-2025)
  • Past Chair: Pakistan (2022-2023), United Arab Emirates (2019-2021), Sri Lanka (2017-2019), Kuwait (2015-2016), Philippines (2013-2014), UAE (2008)
Secretariat
  • UAE Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation serves as ADD Secretariat.
  • IOM served as the ADD Secretariat from its inception in January 2008 to April 2012. In the 2nd ADD Ministerial meeting in April 2012 a set of Interim Operating Modalities were established that called for the Outgoing Chair, Current Chair, and Incoming Chair to act as the ADD Secretariat and IOM's role transitioned to one of Observer and Thematic Expert.
Members

Members States (17 States, including 10 Countries of Origin and 7 Countries of Destination)

  • Afghanistan
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Kuwait
  • Malaysia
  • Nepal
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Sri Lanka
  • Thailand
  • The Philippines
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Viet Nam

Past Member States

  • China
  • Yemen
Observers

Observer States

  • Switzerland

Past Observer States

  • Republic of Korea
  • Singapore

Observer organizations  (2 organizations)

Other International Organizations and Civil Society Organizations are invited to participate in thematic ADD meetings on an ad hoc basis as observers and thematic experts.

Meetings
  • February 10-11, 2024, Dubai, UAE, 7th Ministerial Consultation of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue
  • February 13-14, 2023, Dubai, UAE, Abu Dhabi Dialogue Meeting
  • October 18-19, 2022, Virtual Event, Senior Officials’ Meeting
  • May 17, 2022, Virtual Event, “Strengthening RCP Contributions to and Cooperation on Objective 23 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration”. Side-event at the 1st International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) together with Bali Process
  • October 26-29, 2021, Dubai, UAE, The Sixth Ministerial Consultation
  • October 25, 2021, Dubai, UAE, Senior Officials’ Meeting
  • May 24-27, 2021, Virtual Event, Senior Officials' Meeting
  • July 6, July 9, July 13, 2020, Virtual events, GFMD - Abu Dhabi Dialogue Regional Consultations
  • October 16-17, 2019, Dubai, UAE, Senior Officials Meeting and 5th ADD Ministerial Meeting (all relevant documents are found here: http://abudhabidialogue.org.ae/library 
  • April 30, 2019 Dubai, UAE, Senior Officials' Meeting ( Agenda | Background Document | Joint Communiqué ) 
  • April 29-30, 2019 Dubai, UAE, Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) High-level Symposium: The Future of Work ( Agenda | Summary of Proceedings ) 
  • May 7-8, 2018, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Senior Official's Meeting ( Joint Communiqué | Chair's Repor t) 
  • January 23, 2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Senior Officials 'Meeting
  • January 24, 2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 4th Ministerial Meeting
  • May 11-12, 2016, Dubai, UAE, Senior Officials' Meeting
  • November 26-27, 2014, Kuwait , Senior Officials 'Meeting and 3rd ADD Ministerial Consultation
  • May 22, 2014, Senior Officials' Meeting
  • May 14-15, 2013, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Labor Mobility: Enabler for Sustainable Development
  • April 19, 2012, Manila, Philippines, Second Ministerial Consultations of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue
  • April 17, 2012, Second Senior Officials 'Meeting of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue
  • January 25, 2012, Dubai, UAE, Senior Officials' Meeting to prepare for Abu Dhabi Dialogue Ministerial Consultation
  • January 21-22, 2008, Abu Dhabi, Ministerial Consultation on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labor for Countries of Origin and Destination in Asia
  • More events are available at http://abudhabidialogue.org.ae/en/regional-ministerial-consultations.aspx
Documents
Related Links
Contact Information

UAE Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation
Tel: +971 4 702 3407
Fax: +971 4 206 2912
Email: ad.dialogue@mohre.gov.ae

Website
http://abudhabidialogue.org.a