The work environment is undergoing tremendous change due to technological advancements, demographics, climate change, and globalization and under such circumstances a balanced gender representation was the only way to ensure a productive and successful workplace, said senior experts at the ongoing World Government Summit (WGS 2019) in Dubai.

The three-day summit concludes today (February 12) at Madinat Jumeirah featuring more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and governments, as well as top-tier representatives of 30 international organizations.

The seventh edition of WGS saw key ministers gather yesterday to devise an effective employment model that benefits both the employee and the employer, during a discussion on the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) centenary report titled ‘The Future of Work’ at the High-Level Ministerial Roundtable on the Future of Work.

During the session, Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, said: "We are focused on increasing future employment opportunities for citizens and residents by raising productivity and enhancing labour migration governance to ensure better outcomes for all stakeholders."

“Our capacity to respond to the issues faced by the workforce today is strengthened by a common understanding of the challenges and opportunities. Through this roundtable, we hope to identify opportunities for collaboration with other nations to create better working environments,” he added.

Led by Guy Ryder, Director-General of ILO, ministers from various countries, including Malaysia, Philippines, Sudan, and the UAE, shared views on key topics such as work and society, organization of work and production, and the governance of work.

Ryder pointed out that a balanced gender representation was fundamental for all workplaces to be productive and successful spaces in the future, both in terms of salaries and opportunities.

"The ILO launched its Future of Work initiative about four years ago, where we encouraged our member states to have national dialogues for governments, employers and workers on how they saw the challenges of the future of work," observed Ryder.

"This document serves two purposes - providing the collective wisdom of our member states on the major challenges of the future of work, and what we should be doing to meet them in the most appropriate fashion," he added.-TradeArabia News Service