Arab News, Sunday, Sep 10, 2023 | Safar 24, 1445
Saudi minister of human resources: Kingdom’s role pivotal in supporting G20 approach to labor and employment
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed bin Sulaiman
Al-Rajhi has stressed the importance of the Kingdom’s role in the G20 in
boosting multilateral cooperation to build strong global economies.
This approach addressed global economic challenges
and focused on the main courses of action to build a prosperous economy that
achieves the goals and aspirations of member states, along with the prosperity
of their people, he said.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency on the
Kingdom’s participation in the G20 summit in India, Al-Rajhi said: “The ministry
took part in the work undertaken by the G20 employment working group. This came
as a continuation of our efforts aimed at supporting the achievement of the
G20’s objectives related to addressing the labor and employment issues that are
considered a priority, and the joint efforts being exerted by the member states
in order to promote employment and improve working conditions.”
Al-Rajhi highlighted the Kingdom’s support of the
priorities of the Indian presidency in bridging the global skills gap, and in
the participatory economy and social protection platforms as well as the
sustainable social security funding. This comes within the main axis of the
G20’s work, titled “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”
“During its participation, the ministry showcased
Saudi Arabia’s experience in order to enrich the outcomes of the employment
working group, as the Kingdom is considered one of the first states that
organized and automated self-employment procedures, flexible work and work
through platforms,” he said. “It also significantly strengthened the
participatory economy, in a pioneering experience as part of the Kingdom’s
Vision 2030.
“It did so by adopting a highly flexible approach
as well as ambitious goals and achievements that keep pace with the constant
changes taking place in the labor markets. It also sought to implement a labor
market strategy that focuses on skills through a series of different
initiatives, particularly the initiative through which it seeks to establish 12
sectoral councils for skills.
“The ministry is currently working on preparing
and adopting the national skills strategy, which is fully aligned with the G20’s
2022 skills strategy,” Al-Rajhi said.
“This year, the employment working group approved
the outcome documents of the G20 policy priorities on strategies to address
skill gaps globally, the G20 policy priorities on adequate and sustainable
social protection and decent work for gig and platform workers, along with the
G20 policy options for sustainable financing of social protection. These
documents were adopted during the labor and employment ministers’ meeting, which
was held in India last July, with the active participation of member states,
invited states and international organizations,” he said.