Moderator: Ms. Rania Sharshr, Director of Climate Action, IOM

Remarks:  

• Mr. Paul Tacon, Labour Migration Specialist, International Labour Organization (ILO)  

• Ms. Nouha Salhi, IOM COP29 Youth Delegate on Climate Migration

Panelists:  

• MENA government representative
• International Organisation of Employers (IOE)
• Ms. Evelyn Astor, Director of Economic and Social Policy, International Trade Unions Confederation (ITUC)   

Labour migration can be harnessed to provide alternative livelihood solutions for climate-affected populations in countries of origin (CoOs) while helping to fill green skills demands in countries of destination (CoDs). However, for the labour mobility for the green and just transition to benefit everyone – migrants, their families, CoOs and CoDs -  this needs to take place in a safe and regular manner with adequate social protection and labour rights for migrant workers in line with the principles of the Just Transition Work Programme of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)4 and consistency with the ILO Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all.

The subject is particularly relevant for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, given the region’s highly dynamic human mobility patterns while being among the most vulnerable regions to climate change. While the region hosts 2.5 million refugees5 and over 16 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)6 who are in urgent need of durable solutions, the region covers Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) as the destination hub for intra-regional and inter-regional labour migration and North Africa countries which have established regular labour migration pathways with Europe.