Kuwait and the United Nations: Institutional Coordination to Protect Workers' Rights and Develop the Work Environment
Jawhara Al-Sabah: Building national capacities in alignment with Kuwait’s international commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals
Ghada Taher: The meeting falls within the strategic framework to be signed between UN organizations and Kuwait
The Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Human Rights Affairs, Ambassador Sheikha Jawhara Ibrahim Al-Duwaikh Al-Sabah, told KUNA on Monday that the meeting comes within the framework of Kuwait’s keenness to strengthen its partnership with the United Nations and develop institutional coordination mechanisms among national entities.
She clarified that the meeting reviewed the latest developments in the file of worker protection during the past period, including the implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Trafficking in Persons (2025–2028), follow-up on the implementation of Cabinet Decision No. 325/2026, and the development of the national referral system and training and awareness programs, alongside exploring ways to leverage the technical expertise provided by UN agencies to support these efforts.
She emphasized the importance of continuing coordination among various national entities and strengthening partnerships with international organizations, which contributes to developing policies, enhancing institutional efficiency, and consolidating an approach based on protecting workers’ rights, preventing trafficking in persons, and reinforcing the rule of law. This reflects Kuwait’s commitment to its international responsibilities and its keenness to adopt best practices in this field.
For her part, Ghada Taher, the Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator in Kuwait, said the meeting aims to discuss all areas of joint cooperation, particularly those related to training, capacity building, and training of trainers in the field of combating human trafficking and the national referral program, as well as other files related to the work environment and migrant labor.
She noted that the meeting also takes place within the strategic framework to be signed between UN organizations and Kuwait, which will span four years. These meetings will be part of defining the priorities, programs, and implementation mechanisms of this framework in the coming years.
The participants reviewed updates on international cooperation, including bilateral memoranda of understanding that Kuwait is concluding with a number of fraternal and friendly countries in relevant fields, as well as discussing prospects for developing training programs, building capacities, providing technical support, and enhancing the exchange of expertise between national entities and the UN system.
This meeting is the first of its kind to bring together the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—represented by its Human Rights and Legal Affairs sectors—with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, along with all major UN agencies operating in Kuwait concerned with the labor file and combating trafficking in persons. It lays the foundation for a new phase of institutional cooperation and strategic partnership, enhancing integration among various national and international entities.
Attending the meeting, which was chaired by Sheikha Jawhara Al-Sabah, were Rabab Al-Asimi, Director General of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor; Ghada Taher; and representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
