Geneva: Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Chaudhry Salik Hussain has declared Pakistan’s readiness to collaborate with international partners to uphold the core values of the International Labour Organization (ILO), emphasizing the protection of workers’ rights and fostering a future based on dignity, fairness, and shared prosperity. This commitment was articulated during his address at the 113th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva.
According to Radio Pakistan, Chaudhry Salik Hussain reiterated Pakistan’s dedication to supporting the ILO in the global implementation of labour standards. Highlighting the nation’s labour reform journey, he referred to the ratification of three significant ILO instruments this year: the Maritime Labour Convention, the Convention on Labour Statistics, and the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention. These ratifications signify Pakistan’s resolve to eradicate forced labour, safeguard seafarers, and develop a data-driven labour governance system for its workforce of over seventy-five million.
The Minister also revealed Pakistan’s progress towards ratifying further key conventions on Occupational Safety and Health, and the Violence and Harassment Convention, C190. He noted that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has explicitly endorsed C190 as crucial to protecting the rights of women and vulnerable workers.
Furthermore, Chaudhry Salik Hussain described the Tripartite Labour Conference held in November last year as a landmark event. This conference, the first in fifteen years, saw government, employers, and workers unite to reaffirm commitments to occupational safety, gender-sensitive policies, and stronger labour institutions.
Social protection is central to Pakistan’s development strategy, he stated, highlighting initiatives like the Benazir Income Support Program and Ehsaas, which benefit over nine million families. The Employees Old Age Benefits Institution, with assets surpassing 21.30 million dollars, supports over four hundred thousand pensioners, while the Workers Welfare Fund has provided over fifty thousand scholarships, alongside housing and welfare support.
To protect migrant workers, Pakistan is leveraging digital innovation with initiatives like the Pak-Tok App, which will serve eight hundred thousand emigrants annually and connect twelve million diaspora members to essential services. The emigration management framework aims to digitize overseas employment to ensure transparency and ethical recruitment.
Chaudhry Salik Hussain also highlighted investments in youth and skills development under the Decent Work Country Programme. Pakistan’s NAVTTC and TEVTAs are aligning training with industry needs, piloting legal migration pathways with the EU, and establishing training institutes focused on green jobs and digital skills.
Moreover, Pakistan is enhancing cooperation with international social partners. Through its collaboration with IndustriAll Global Union, it is strengthening workplace safety in the energy and mining sectors.
The conference was also attended by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Bilal Ahmad, Secretary Workers Welfare Fund Zulfiqar Ahmed, President of National Labour Federation Shamas-ur-Rehman Swati, President Pakistan United Workers Federation Zahoor Awan, and Director General of Labour Welfare, Punjab, Syeda Kulsume Hai.