The First Meeting of the Ministers of Labour, Employment and Social Protection of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in Baku. The event, titled “Cooperation in the Field of Labour for the Common Prosperity of Turkic States,” brought together officials from the labour, employment and social protection institutions of member states (Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) and observer states (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Hungary, Turkmenistan), as well as senior representatives of the OTS.
Opening the event, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, Anar Aliyev, emphasised that strengthening cooperation with OTS member states and reinforcing unity within the Turkic world remain among Azerbaijan’s strategic priorities. He recalled President Ilham Aliyev’s statement: “The Organization of Turkic States is our main international organization because our family is the Turkic world.”
The Minister highlighted the success of recent social reforms implemented in Azerbaijan, achievements in the digitalisation of state social services, the advantages of the DOST model, and efforts to ensure employment for former internally displaced persons in the liberated territories. He noted Azerbaijan’s readiness to share its experience in employment and social protection with OTS member states and expressed interest in learning from their best practices. He expressed confidence that today’s meeting would contribute to creating a more inclusive and sustainable model of social development across member countries.
OTS Secretary-General Kubanychbek Omuraliyev underlined that expanding cooperation among member states in the fields of labour, employment and social protection is a key priority, and that the current meeting serves this purpose. Türkiye’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Vedat Işıkhan, stressed the importance of the first-ever gathering of ministers responsible for labour, employment and social protection of the Turkic states, noting its significance for enhancing cooperation in line with the “Turkic World 2040 Vision.”
Kamchybek Dosmatov, First Deputy Minister of Labour, Social Protection, and Migration of Kyrgyzstan, spoke about the importance of coordinated actions and shared his views on labour market development. Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction, Sirojiddin Bobokulov, stressed the importance of joint efforts in workforce skills development, occupational safety, and strengthening social dialogue. Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, Viktoriya Shegay, highlighted the widespread adoption of digital solutions in her country’s labour and social protection sectors and confirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation in these areas.
Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), provided information on social reforms implemented in the TRNC and stated that Azerbaijan’s DOST model is exemplary 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, emphasised that the meeting creates an important platform for strengthening cooperation in labour, employment and social protection.
Following the discussions, 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 among member and observer states in labour legislation, protection of labour rights, occupational safety and health, gender equality, and other areas. It also provides for the establishment of a Working Group on Labour, Employment and Social Protection between the respective ministries.
