September 1st – 4th, 2025
From the 1st – 4th September, 2025, Mrs. Dina Habib, Middle East Centre’s (MECTD) Researcher on Migration Studies participated in the 15th Global Forum on Migration and Development Summit in Riohacha, Colombia on behalf of the centre. Dina was nominated by the Cross Regional Center for Refugees and Migrants (CCRM) to represent the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf region delegation at the summit within the Civil Society mechanism. According to the Colombia Chair, the Summit brought together more than 1500 participants from 71 countries, including national and local governments, civil society, the private sector, and youth. Under the theme “Regular Migration, Labour Mobility and Human Rights: Pillars of Development and Well-Being of Societies”, discussions focused on key topics from internal displacement to pathways and dignified returns.
Middle East Centre for Training and Development also provided technical, academic, and logistical support for the successful participation of the Dubai local government within the Mayors Mechanism. The Dubai Delegation was represented by the Dubai Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai (PCLA) at the Summit in Riohacha, where a study conducted by MECTD titled “Case Study on Local Government Practices for the Services Offered to Migrant Workers in Labour Sending and Receiving Cities; The Cases of Quezon City, Philippines, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates” was presented by the PCLA, in collaboration with Quezon City Council, Philippines. The study provides an explorative outlook on how local governments in labour sending and receiving contexts provide services, protections, and welfare support for migrant workers, and highlights best practices that can be replicated across similar jurisdictions across city-to-city migration corridors.
