The 43th session of Arab Labor Organization (ALO) conference started off on Sunday with agenda set to combine threefold productive parties including workers, employers and labor committees in Arab states. Saudi Labor Minister Dr. Mufarrej Al-Haqabani, chairman of the ALO board of directors, said the conference takes into consideration the international and regional changes witnessed by stakeholders, as well as addresses challenges as part of the ALO core mission. It would require a collective cooperation by the Arab states and extend areas of collaboration to tackle challenges and overcome obstacles within the framework of launching dialogue among social partners at the Arab world level, he added. While giving a speech at the inauguration, Al- Haqabani clarified that the council's meeting of ALO, running for the last two sessions, discussed a number of regulatory, financial and administrative topics. In addition, the Saudi labor minister pointed out to the discussion was held by the ad-hoc committee to develop ALO work mechanisms and systems besides enhance financial capitals, resulting in a raft of crucial recommendations. The board of directors' meeting put forward results that were stemmed from the 35th session of committee on freedom of association and the 36th session of legal experts committee, according to a statement received from Al-Haqabani. The council board also explored outlook toward implementing the conference's decisions made before and oversaw how they were enforced. Also, it gave emphasis on ALO financial status, grants and delinquency rates incurred by the member states, along with discussing the 2015 financial supervisory authority's statements and auditors' reports. Al-Haqabani stated that the council focused on the ALO draft plan and budget (2017-2018) and approved both proposals with introducing a few amendments and forwarding it to high-ranking seniors for endorsing. The council ensures that action plan is in accordance to the organization and pays undivided attention to fast-paced updates and across the board alterations amid the needs of the threefold productive parties, he added further. The labor minister said: "The council reviewed a report on preparing the annual meeting for the Arab Group that will attend the 105th session of International Labor Organization Conference holding on June 2016". The labor minister emphasized that the council reviewed Israeli settlements report, and its economic and social percussions were brought up in connection with the labor sector in the occupied Palestinian territories. It shed light on transgressions acted against Palestinian workers, which is a blatant violation of the International Law and Conventions on Human Rights, he reiterated, speaking to dignitaries at the conference. Al-Haqabani added that the council denounced the Israeli continued assaults committed against the Palestinian nation and pledged to provide undulating support to the Palestinian people until they get their freedom and have an independent state of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. As the conference documents laid out, a detailed report on the ALO outcomes tracked back from the previous two sessions were put for discussion, highlighting a string of accomplishments during the last year, he voiced in enthusiasm. — SG
