The first meeting of the Ministers of Labour, Employment and Social Protection of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Baku
At the conclusion of the meeting, a Declaration was signed.
The first meeting of the Ministers of Labour, Employment and Social Protection of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in Baku. The meeting, held under the theme “Cooperation in the field of labour for shared prosperity among Turkic states”, brought together ministers and representatives from the member states (Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) as well as observer countries (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Hungary, Turkmenistan), and senior officials of the OTS.
Opening the event, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, Anar Aliyev, noted that expanding relations with OTS member states and strengthening the Turkic world are among the key priorities of our country. President Ilham Aliyev has emphasized: “For us, the Organization of Turkic States is the main international organization, because our family is the Turkic world.”
The Minister highlighted the achievements of the social reforms carried out in Azerbaijan in recent years, the progress made in the digitalization of public social services, the advantages of the DOST concept, and the work carried out to ensure employment for former internally displaced persons in the liberated territories. He emphasized Azerbaijan’s readiness to share its experience and successes in the fields of employment and social protection with the member countries, as well as its interest in learning from the experiences of those states. He expressed confidence that today’s meeting would contribute to the formation of a more inclusive and sustainable model of social development for all countries involved.
OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliyev underlined the importance of expanding cooperation among member states in the fields of labour, employment and social protection, noting that the present meeting serves this purpose. Türkiye’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Vedat Işıkhan, emphasized the significance of bringing together—for the first time—the ministers responsible for labour, employment and social protection from Turkic states and highlighted the importance of deepening cooperation in these fields in line with the “Turkic World Vision – 2040”.
Kamchybek Dosmatov, First Deputy Minister of Labour, Social Security and Migration of Kyrgyzstan, stressed the importance of coordinated measures for effective cooperation and shared his views on labour market development. Deputy Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction of Uzbekistan, Sirojiddin Bobokulov, emphasized that the Turkic countries are united by common roots and common strategic goals, and highlighted the importance of joint efforts in improving workforce skills, occupational safety, strengthening social dialogue, and other areas. Viktoriya Schegai, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Kazakhstan, spoke about the wide application of digital solutions in labour, employment and social protection in her country and expressed their commitment to deepening cooperation in these areas.
Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, provided information about the social reforms carried out in the TRNC and stated that Azerbaijan's DOST model is an exemplary practice for the Turkic world. Sandor Czomba, State Secretary for Employment Policy of Hungary’s Ministry of National Economy, and Halbibi Tachjanova, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Turkmenistan, noted that today’s event creates an important platform for expanding cooperation in labour, employment and social protection.
Later, the Declaration of the first meeting of the Ministers of Labour, Employment and Social Protection of the Organization of Turkic States was signed. The document outlines strengthening cooperation between member and observer states in areas such as labour legislation, protection of labour rights, occupational health and safety, gender equality, and more. It also envisages the establishment of a Working Group on Labour, Employment and Social Protection among the ministries to coordinate these efforts.
