The South Asia Labor Mobility Conference, held in Thimphu on May 20-21, 2025, gathered over 150 government officials and partners from regions including South Asia, East Asia and Pacific, North Africa, and the Caribbean. The conference aimed to facilitate a cross-regional learning platform for labor mobility best practices and promote collaboration among countries involved in labor migration.
Hosted by Bhutan in partnership with the World Bank, the event addressed issues of youth unemployment and outmigration. It was inaugurated by Lyonchhoen Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan, and Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank.
Sessions at the conference covered topics such as global skills partnerships for labor mobility and domestic employment, migrant support during their journey, challenges faced by small states, remittances' impact, and diasporas' role in development. Panel discussions explored policy options for better skills partnerships from host countries' perspectives and how sending countries can leverage diaspora-generated financial flows while supporting returnees.
Lyonpo Namgay Dorji, Minister of Industry, Commerce & Employment of Bhutan remarked on the importance of equipping Bhutanese youth with skills to seek opportunities abroad without compulsion. "Our migrants may be thousands of miles away," he stated, "but their hearts remain tethered to our valleys."
High-level participants symbolized commitment to labor mobility agendas. Notable attendees included H.E. Ali Haidar Ahmed from the Maldives; H.E. Anil Jayantha Fernando from Sri Lanka; H.E. Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo from Odisha; H.E. Patricia Caunan from the Philippines; and H.E. Maciej Duszczyk from Poland.
Franziska Ohnsorge, Chief Economist for South Asia at the World Bank commented on demographic forces driving global labor mobility flows: “For many countries...the best policy response may be to make sure that migrant workers move through formal structured channels.”
The conference underscored the World Bank's support for promoting safe labor migration amid income gaps and demographic imbalances worldwide.