Areas of Expertise
Dubai
Migration and Development: A cross-cultural perspective
According to the United Nations estimates there are 33 million migrant workers in the Middle Eastern Region. The development in the region, which spiraled from the 1970s, has seen a growing influx of workers from around the globe. Today the region boasts of being a hub not only for exportation of gas and oil but of trade, finance, and exchange of cultures. It is in this hub of energy and development that there is greater recognition of the need for cross-cultural exchanges, learning, and celebration that is reflective of the interdependent world that we live in.
As the region seeks to diversify its economy it needs to recognize the role that millions of migrants have played in contributing to its development in where it is today. The reciprocity and co-dependence of migrant workers and host populations demands a new understanding today, one in which the possibility of a win-win-win, for country or origin, destination, and migrant worker is a genuine possibility.
The Middle East Centre for Training and Development through its workshops, seminars and trainings attempts to forge and nurture this new understanding in an attempt to demonstrate the real possibilities between migration, development and a future that embodies the vision of 2021.
Health and Migration
The World Health Organization (WHO) conceptualizes health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. While the inclusion of migrant workers in health care services irrespective of status is fundamental it is imperative that access to health goes beyond this. There is the need for a paradigm shift that focuses on the social determinants of health with an emphasis on social justice to overcome inequalities.
The Middle East Center for Training and Development (MECTD) endeavors to focus on the creation of an enabling environment that makes universal health coverage a reality for all irrespective of social distinctions. Through its pools of experts and linkages with a diverse set of institutions the MECTD adopts an interdisciplinary development of cross cutting policy and action for sustainable health.
Nexus between migration and trafficking
Trafficking for the purpose of labour and sexual exploitation remains prevalent worldwide. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that there are around 600,000 forced labour victims in the Middle East. While exact figures on the scale of the phenomenon in each country within the region are lacking, these estimates still reveal a stark trend of serious human and labour rights violations.
The MECTD aims to foster interaction and communication among various stakeholders to partner in knowledge and action that serve as an effective response that identifies gaps and ensures the enforcement of policies that bring an end to trafficking and guarantees safe migratory experience.
Addressing the situation of undocumented foreign labour
Research has shown that migrants in an irregular or undocumented situation are more likely to face discrimination, exploitation, abuse, and degrading treatment. Contrary to what is believed, migrant workers in such situations are often found to be working in sectors that local workers have long forsaken. Yet it is these same migrants who also remain invisible while development programmes and projects continue to make headlines.
MECTD aims to engage a diverse set of stake holders to gain a better understanding of the international laws and promising practices that would bring out the true development potential of the region in which all including irregular migrants are given an opportunity to contribute to realize its common vision.
Labour Inspection in the workplace
The proper application of labour legislation is highly dependent on an effective and efficient labour inspectorate. Through ensuring the application of national labour laws, labour inspectors are able to improve conditions in the workplace by identifying gaps and loopholes thereby allowing national authorities to play an important role in ensuring that labour laws are applied equally to all employers and workers.
The increasing number of migrant workers in the region instigates the need for well trained labour inspectorates whose high performance levels would not only guarantee productivity but bring about an earlier realization of vision 2021.
The MECTD while focusing on international labour standards aims to offer trainings that improve the skills and capacities of stakeholders that make the work place safe and of a standard of excellence that is unmatched and desired to be emulated.
Social Policy and Security for Foreign Workers
The right to social security is the right of every individual. Foreign workers, being away from their country of origin might lose their entitlement to their social security benefits or at times may face limited access to the social security benefits in the destination country. In addition to the international laws and conventions, UAE has well drafted laws and procedures that ensure the rights of foreign workers are protected and that they receive what is entitled to them. A detailed learning of this would benefit all of us. By way of seminars or training programs as it best suits; MECTD would like to bring more light to this subject with the help of other international organizations and experts.
Ethical Business and Recruitment Practices in Labour Market
One of the primary steps in the migration process lies in the hands of the recruitment agents. A major part of those who migrate from the country of origin to the country of destination would be via recruitment agencies or companies. This important link also happens to be one of the areas in which problems such as human trafficking also arise.
MECTD aims at providing a training program in which the participants would develop an understanding of the recruitment procedures, employment terms and legal protections present in the sending countries and the receiving countries.
Labour Market Trends and Globalization's Impact on Them
There is a growing need to assess the impact of globalization on the labour market. International experts from various organizations have discussed the pros and cons of economic globalization and the analysis is as varied as the number of authors. As the region continues to source a global work force and seeks the diversification of its productivity and market, it is important to understand the discourse on ‘globalization and deglobalization’.
Through its seminars and workshops MECTD aims to bring forward cutting edge research that would help forward a development agenda that aims to bring about fair globalization while rising to greater heights in development practice.