United States and Qatar Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Labor Cooperation

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta and Mr. Yousuf Mohamed Al Othman Fakhroo, Minister of Administrative Development, Labor, and Social Affairs of Qatar, signed a memorandum of understanding today recognizing the value of cooperation and knowledge-sharing for strengthening protection for workers.

The memorandum of understanding provides for technical cooperation between the U.S. Department of Labor and Qatar's Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor, and Social Affairs to support Qatar's ongoing program of labor reform, particularly in the areas of labor inspection and protecting the rights of domestic workers.

Qatar has pledged to undertake a number of labor reforms in advance of hosting the World Cup in 2022, and in November 2017, entered into a cooperative agreement with the International Labor Organization. The Department's cooperation will augment and support these initiatives.

The mission of the Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs is to promote a fair global playing field for workers in the U.S. and around the world by enforcing trade commitments, strengthening labor standards, and combating international child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking. For more information about the Department's work on these issues, visit http://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab.