Introduction
The Middle East Centre for Training and Development (MECTD) marks another year of meaningful progress in its mission to advance safe and dignified migration. Now in its ninth year, the Centre has steadily grown as a key actor in migration and development, continuing to build on its multi-stakeholder engagement across local, regional, and international spheres. MECTD remains committed to strengthening the capacity of its stakeholders on domestic and international labour standards and to contributing policy recommendations that advance worker well-being. This report highlights the centre’s activities throughout the year 2023, reflecting the breadth of its engagements and the progress made across its various projects and partnerships.
Throughout 2023, MECTD deepened its collaboration with the Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai (PCLA), continuing to deliver worker awareness and education sessions to over 6,600 workers, targeting low-income migrant workers across the construction, delivery, and service sectors. Sessions covered UAE labour and immigration laws, cultural orientation, health and safety, and available government support channels, equipping workers with the foundational knowledge needed to live and work safely in the UAE. The centre also organised, in collaboration with PCLA, a capacity building programme on Labour Rights and the Drafting of Reports, held at the Mohamed bin Rashid Library, bringing together government delegates, researchers, and regional experts.
A defining feature of 2023 was the centre’s growing academic and knowledge-sharing engagement. MECTD forged connections with universities and research institutions, participating in academic platforms and contributing expertise to scholarly discussions on migration governance. From representing the UAE’s labour policy landscape at the University of Palermo’s Summer School in Italy, to exploring a formal collaboration with the UAE University, the centre demonstrated its capacity to engage meaningfully with the academic community. This knowledge-sharing dimension further enriched MECTD’s international engagements across the year, which also included the Migrant Women Forum Assembly in Jakarta, the Cross-Regional Conference on Access to Social Protection in Kuala Lumpur, and a landmark four-day anti-trafficking workshop with the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), bringing together 13 civil society members from South and Southeast Asia for an in-depth dialogue on the UAE’s anti-trafficking governance landscape.
Activities
The following activities reflect MECTD’s engagement throughout the year 2023 with local, regional, and global stakeholders and like-minded entities, aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and exploring avenues for collaboration.
Workshop on Labour Migration Governance and its Progress, United Arab Emirates
From the 1st – 3rd March 2023, MECTD, in partnership with the Cross-Regional Center for Refugees and Migrants (CCRM), conducted a three-day consultation on UAE’s labour migration governance and its progress, and its impact on migrant workers’ experiences. The consultation engaged stakeholders at the national and regional level, as well as journalists, bringing together government and business communities, research organisations, and media professionals across its three days. Experts within the labour migration field joined virtually on the final day to engage in dialogue on the Global Compact on Migration, the Global Forum on Migration and Development, and broader international labour migration discussions. The workshop sought to foster collaboration between local and regional stakeholders, highlight existing challenges, and propose solutions to positively advance the labour migration dialogue.
Capacity Building Program on Labour Rights and the Drafting of Reports, Mohamed bin Rashid Library
MECTD, in collaboration with the Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai (PCLA), organised a capacity building program on Labour Rights and the Drafting of Reports, held between the 22nd – 24th May 2023 at the Mohamed bin Rashid Library. The program brought together government delegates, researchers, and experts from the labour and human rights field in the region.
Migrant Women Forum Assembly, Jakarta, Indonesia
Migrant women from the Global South, including civil society representatives, trade unions, and women migrants’ rights defenders from across regions, convened in Jakarta, Indonesia for the Migrant Women Forum Assembly from the 5th – 7th June 2023. The assembly aimed to strengthen the solidarity of the movement for women on the move, and to discuss issues of women, labour migration, mobility, and women’s rights.
University of Palermo Summer School “Migrants, Human Rights, Democracy”, Italy
From the 19th – 24th June 2023, MECTD attended the Summer School “Migrants, Human Rights, Democracy” organised by the Department of Psychology, Education Sciences and Human Movement at the University of Palermo, Italy. The Centre also made an intervention on the UAE’s labour migration governance, addressing measures to strengthen its economy and improve foreign workers’ lives through recent labour laws and policies.
Cross-Regional Conference on Access to Social Protection of Migrants, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
MECTD participated in the Cross-Regional Conference on Access to Social Protection of Migrants, held on the 24th – 25th June 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The conference was held in memory of John K. Bingham, in commemoration of his first death anniversary on 26th June 2023.
Understanding UAE’s Anti-Trafficking Governance and Exploring Possible Collaboration for a Change of Narratives, Dubai
From the 23rd – 26th August 2023 , the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) Thailand, in collaboration with MECTD, conducted a four-day event titled “Understanding UAE’s Anti-Trafficking Governance and Exploring Possible Collaboration for a Change of Narratives”. Nearly 13 members of GAATW, working against human trafficking and safe migration across Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, took part in the intensive workshop to enhance their knowledge on how state and non-state actors in the UAE engage with issues of human trafficking and labour migration. Delegates held meetings with migrant communities, visited diplomatic missions and social welfare groups, and engaged with the Dubai Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs (PCLA), the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWC), and private companies to understand how misinformation on social media around recruitment processes has contributed to migrant workers being subjected to human trafficking.
Virtual Meeting with Professor from UAE University
On the 7th of September 2023, MECTD held a virtual meeting with Prof. Branislav Radeljic from the Department of Government and Society at the United Arab Emirates University, to explore possibilities for collaboration. The parties discussed issues concerning migration governance in the UAE, as well as the prospect of organising workshops with policy stakeholders focusing on migration and development in 2024.
PCLA Labour Awareness and Education Sessions, Dubai
In line with previous years, MECTD played a pivotal role in enhancing the knowledge of various worker communities including construction, service, and delivery sectors, among others. Throughout the year 2023, the centre conducted 104 sessions in total, educating 6,668 workers within various low-income sectors. Worker communities who attended the sessions, including delivery riders, general workers, and supervisors, were exposed to various topics including social behaviour in the UAE, residency visa information, labour law information, road and safety, health and safety, and channels of support.
Honouring of Companies for Compliance with the Midday Work Ban, Dubai
MECTD, in collaboration with the Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai (PCLA), organised a ceremony in September 2023 to honour companies for their compliance with the UAE’s midday outdoor work ban. The event recognised the commitment of participating companies to worker health and safety standards during the summer months.