A symposium aimed at strengthening cross‑regional co‑operation to promote ethical recruitment, decent working conditions, enhanced skills mobility and stronger safeguards against human trafficking opened yesterday.
More than 120 experts from GCC countries and the East and Horn of Africa attended the two-day event organised by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, in co-operation with the International Organisation for Migration in Bahrain and the Executive Bureau of the GCC Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs.
The conference, titled Responsible Recruitment and Combating Trafficking in Persons: Fostering Collaboration between the Gulf Co-operation Council and East and Horn of Africa, was held at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence and Spa.
Government officials, recruitment agencies and representatives from private sector and vocational education and training institutions were among the attendees, who participated in interactive sessions and panel discussions.
“This symposium reflects our collective commitment to promoting ethical and responsible recruitment practices, strengthening the protection of workers’ rights and enhancing cross-border co-operation,” said LMRA chief executive Nibras Talib in his opening remarks.
“Combating trafficking in persons requires addressing risks across the entire recruitment and employment cycle, recognising that such practices often originate in countries of origin or transit.
“Strengthening co-operation between the GCC and the East and Horn of Africa is essential to improving recruitment systems, enhancing worker protection, and advancing decent work in line with international standards.”
Discussions during the symposium explored challenges and opportunities across employment and return phases, highlighting the shared responsibilities of governments, employers and recruitment agencies.
Guided by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct, the symposium supported ongoing regional efforts to enhance responsible business practices and worker protection across key migration corridors.
“Responsible recruitment is not only a matter of compliance, but of building trust and resilience across labour markets,” said IOM Chief of Mission in Bahrain Aishath Shareef.
“By aligning regional efforts with international frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we can support ethical recruitment practices, strengthen worker protection and foster sustainable partnerships across the GCC and the East and Horn of Africa.”
Meanwhile, the Executive Bureau’s director-general Mohammed Al Obaidli affirmed that GCC countries attach great importance to aligning labour market needs with workforce skills by investing in training, adopting objective professional standards and linking wages to competency and skills – thereby contributing to human capital development and supporting economic and social development.
Bahrain maintained its Tier-1 status for the eighth consecutive year in the TIP 2025 report released last year by the US State Department.
The report stated the Interior Ministry investigated 44 cases involving 101 alleged traffickers – 12 for sex trafficking and 32 for labour trafficking – compared with 54 investigations in the previous reporting period.
The 25th edition of the annual report features narratives on 188 countries and territories, and covers the period from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.
The government provided 27 trafficking victims BD1,131 to support their reintegration and offered job placement in Bahrain to victims who desired to remain in the country to work, and provided a new work permit to one labour trafficking victim, the report added.
The annual report highlighted a trend indicating that traffickers in countries of origin deceptively recruit skilled workers – including doctors and teachers, mostly from Africa – and upon arriving in Bahrain, force them into domestic work.
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