Labour ministers from 40 countries meeting in Riyadh agreed on six priority actions to address workforce challenges including artificial intelligence governance, skills recognition and social protection systems.
The ministerial roundtable concluded today at the Global Labor Market Conference, chaired by Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al Rajhi, Saudi Arabia’s minister of human resources and social development. Participants represented G20 countries and nations across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
Gilbert F. Houngbo, director-general of the International Labour Organization, also attended the roundtable.
Six priority actions
Ministers agreed to focus on strengthening skills recognition and portability to enable worker mobility across sectors and borders.
They committed to establishing transparent governance and oversight for artificial intelligence use in labour market systems.
Other priorities include adapting social protection systems to support worker mobility and career transitions, using data and analytics to improve job matching and skills development, preparing employment systems to respond to economic shocks, and improving pathways to first employment and labour market re-entry.
Annual conference
The Global Labor Market Conference is taking place Jan. 26-27 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh under the theme “Future in Progress.”
The conference features more than 200 speakers across over 50 sessions, with attendance exceeding 10,000 participants from Saudi Arabia and other countries.
The event is supported by partnerships with the International Labour Organization, World Bank, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, King’s Trust International, UN Tourism, United Nations Development Programme, International Organization for Migration and Mohammed bin Salman Foundation.
