Pakistan Proposes OIC Skills Partnership for Digital, Renewable and Care Economies

Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development ,Chaudhry Salik Hussain urges member states to promote ethical labour mobility, social protection, and regional cooperation at the OIC Labour Ministers’ Conference in Doha

Doha: Pakistan has proposed a comprehensive four-pronged framework aimed at strengthening workforce capacity, advancing skills development, and promoting ethical labour mobility across the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Speaking at the Sixth Islamic Conference of Labour Ministers (ICLM) in Doha, Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, outlined Pakistan’s vision for a more integrated and equitable labour ecosystem within the Islamic world.

The Minister proposed the launch of an OIC Skills Partnership, focusing on training workers in emerging sectors such as digital technology, renewable energy, and the care economy. He also called for the establishment of Ethical Labour Mobility Corridors with standardized, bilateral frameworks to ensure fair recruitment and protection practices in line with the OIC Charter’s principles of fairness and justice.

Emphasizing the importance of social protection, Chaudhry Salik Hussain urged member states to develop portable social security schemes to recognize migrant workers’ years of service across borders. He further highlighted the need to expand joint initiatives under the Islamic Development Bank’s Youth Employment Support Programme (YES) to foster entrepreneurship and innovation among OIC member countries.

He said Pakistan stands ready to host pilot projects and training exchanges under these initiatives in partnership with OIC member states and international development partners.

The Minister underlined the importance of moving beyond fragmented national efforts and embracing regional integration to unlock the collective potential of the Islamic world. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to work closely with OIC institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), SESRIC, COMCEC, and the OIC Labour Centre, on programs related to skills development, data sharing, and social protection.

Calling for deeper collaboration among OIC labour markets, he urged Gulf countries, as global manpower hubs, to expand employment and visa opportunities for workers from Islamic nations “in the spirit of solidarity, security, and shared prosperity.”

Highlighting the contribution of over 11 million overseas Pakistanis, who send home more than $38 billion annually in remittances, Salik Hussain said Pakistan fully supports the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for skilled workers. If effectively implemented, he noted, the MRA could pave the way for a seamlessly integrated Islamic labour market.

The Minister also shared Pakistan’s domestic achievements, noting that under the National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF), more than 200,000 youth have earned internationally aligned skills certifications. He said Pakistan’s National Employment Policy focuses on strengthening workplace safety, promoting inclusion, particularly for women and persons with disabilities—and expanding social protection.

He added that Pakistan is developing targeted migration corridors to meet workforce demands in construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and ICT sectors across the Gulf and beyond.

Salik Hussain also lauded Pakistan’s strong partnerships with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, which have provided employment to millions of Pakistani workers through ethical recruitment pathways. He said Pakistan continues to expand collaboration with NAVTTC, ILO, ICMPD, and GIZ to align skills training with employer demand in the Gulf region, creating stronger linkages between domestic training programs and international job markets.