KATHMANDU: Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista has called for bilateral and regional cooperation to ensure reforms in the migration sector, stating that Nepal’s sole effort could not yield any results.

Participating in the interaction under the 5th ministerial-level meeting of Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) in the United Arab Emirates today, Minister Bista said that Nepal firmly believed that that the welfare of immigrant workers could be secured and promoted through collective efforts.

Expressing his confidence that the discussion held today would help further bolster dialogue and cooperation among the ADD-member nations, Bista underscored the need for continuous dialogue for heralding tangible reforms in the migration sector.

According to him, the regional consultations forums such as Colombo Process and Abu Dhabi Dialogue had identified a way out for a strong collaboration and dignified and safe migration. The Minister viewed that these forums have been facilitating good global practices to regulate and streamline the migration sector.

Nepal is the current chair of the Colombo Process and it includes Asian countries of labor origin and destinations such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

Minister Bista also informed the ADD’s ministerial meeting that Nepal was formulating laws and ensuring reforms at policy level to protect the rights of the migrant workers, one being implementation of ‘free-visa, free-ticket’ scheme which relieves the aspiring migrant workers for the huge financial burden of buying ticket and paying for visa to pursue foreign jobs.

He also shared that the government in Nepal had been adopting various measures to increase domestic employment and regulate foreign employment sectors.

The Minister also said that Nepal has been a signatory to many international conventions that protect and promote the welfare of migrant workers.

On the sidelines of the ADD, Minister Bista held a meeting with UAE’s Minister for Human Resources and Emiratization Nasser Bin Thani Al Hamali.

According to the press statement released by Nepali Embassy in Abu Dhabi today, the talk between the two Ministers had centered on securing the welfare of the Nepali migrant workers in the UAE as well as the prospects of collaboration between the government of Nepal and UAE for development of skills of Nepali migrant workers.