By John Lee.
A permanent tripartite Social Dialogue Forum has been established in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, bringing together the Kurdistan Regional Government, workers' organisations and employers' organisations to jointly address labour market challenges and shape policies affecting employment and workers' rights.
The Forum was officially launched in Erbil on 1 September, with the signing of its Founding Document by Kwestan Mohamad Abdulla Maarouf, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government; Hengaw Abdullah Khan, representing workers' organisations; and Gailan Saeed Aziz and Rizgar Jamal Karim, representing employers' organisations.
The Founding Document establishes equal representation of the three parties in both the Forum and its Secretariat, and provides an institutional framework for regular consultation, exchange of information and cooperation on labour and related socio-economic issues. The Forum's objectives include:
- Reviewing and contributing to the development of labour legislation
- Promoting trade union rights and freedoms
- Discussing economic and social policies related to the labour market
- Supporting the implementation of international labour standards
The establishment of the Forum was supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO) through the Building Equitable and Inclusive Transformation (BEIT) project, funded by the European Union (EU). The launch was also attended by tripartite representatives of the Social Dialogue Forum from Federal Iraq.
Claire Courteille-Mulder, ILO Deputy Regional Director for Arab States, described the launch as "both the culmination of a constructive tripartite process and the beginning of a new phase of institutionalized social dialogue in the Kurdistan Region."
(Source: International Labour Organization)
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