Thimphu, May 20-21, 2025: The South Asia Labor Mobility Conference brought together over 150 high-level government officials, practitioners, and partners, from South Asia, East Asia and Pacific, North Africa, and the Caribbean, covering more than 15 origin and host countries to provide a cross-regional learning platform for best practices, as well as to promote collaboration among labor migrant sending and receiving countries. The conference was hosted by Bhutan at a time when the country seeks to tackle growing issues of youth unemployment and unprecedented outmigration.
Organized by the World Bank in collaboration with the Royal Government of Bhutan, the conference was opened by Lyonchhoen Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister, Royal Government of Bhutan, and Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations, World Bank.
The event featured sessions on global skills partnerships to address international labor mobility and domestic employment; how governments and partners can better support migrants before, during and after their migration journey; the unique challenges and opportunities faced by small states; and the impact of remittances and role of diasporas in supporting development. Panel discussions shared perspectives from host countries on policy options for better skills partnership and support to labor migrants, as well as how sending countries can better leverage the financial flows generated by their diasporas while supporting the reintegration of returnees.
"My hope is that Bhutanese youth who move abroad do so to seek greater opportunities and not out of necessity or compulsion. We must ensure that they are rightly skilled as they head abroad, are able to continue learning while aboard, and bring back valuable experiences that can contribute to Bhutan's development when they return," remarked Lyonpo Namgay Dorji, Minister of Industry, Commerce & Employment, Royal Government of Bhutan. "Our migrants may be thousands of miles away, but their hearts remain tethered to our valleys, our people, and our dreams," he added.
The high-level participation, from South Asia and beyond, symbolized the deep commitment to the labor mobility agenda and support for the spirit of international cooperation and knowledge sharing. The event benefitted immensely from the participation of H.E. Ali Haidar Ahmed, Minister of Higher Education, Labor & Skills Development of the Maldives; H.E. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Labor of Sri Lanka; H.E. Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister of the State of Odisha; H.E. Patricia Caunan, Undersecretary of the Department of Migrant Workers of the Philippines, and H.E. Maciej Duszczyk, Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Interior & Administration of Poland, among other distinguished policymakers and experts.
"Powerful demographic forces drive global labor mobility flows. For many countries, the best policy response may be to make sure that migrant workers move through formal, structured channels, in a "quadruple-win" for workers and their families, home and host countries. This conference brought together policymakers from more than a dozen countries with hands-on, often decades-long, experience in building and enforcing such structured channels," commented Franziska Ohnsorge, Chief Economist for South Asia, World Bank.
With labor mobility continuing to be influenced by income gaps and demographic imbalances, the World Bank supports global efforts to promote safe, orderly, and regular labor migration. The South Asia Labor Mobility Conference serves as an initial platform in curating and convening knowledge to better inform policymakers in sending and receiving countries to address this global phenomenon and maximize mutual development gains.
