His Excellency Yousuf Mohamed Al Othman Fakhroo, the State of Qatar’s Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs met with U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta to discuss areas of mutual interest and sign a Memorandum of Understanding, recognizing the value of cooperation and knowledge-sharing to strengthen protection for workers.

The memorandum of understanding signed by His Excellency and Secretary Acosta provides a framework for technical cooperation between the two countries to support Qatar’s ongoing program of labour reform, particularly in the areas of labour inspection and domestic workers.

His Excellency Yousuf Mohamed Al Othman Fakhroo said, “The State of Qatar is always pleased to partner with the United States to further our capabilities and closely collaborate on important topics like labour rights and workers' protection. We look forward to working with the U.S. Department of Labor in knowledge transfer and training on best practices, and welcome the opportunity to host the US Secretary of Labor and members of his Department in Qatar in the near future.”

In a news release, the U.S. Department of Labor noted, “Qatar has undertaken 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. U.S. Department of Labor cooperation will augment and support these initiatives.”

His Excellency also met with United States Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons John Cotton Richmond. His Excellency and the Ambassador discussed Qatar’s comprehensive efforts to counter human trafficking and the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report.