Doha, Qatar – Somalia’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Yusuf Mohamed, carried a message of resilience and ambition as he addressed fellow delegates at the 6th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Labor Ministers’ Conference in Doha, Qatar.
Standing before representatives from across the Islamic world, he highlighted how Somalia — long associated with instability — is rewriting its narrative through job creation, youth empowerment and inclusive labor policies.
In his remarks, Mohamed detailed the government’s ongoing initiatives to boost employment opportunities, particularly for young people who make up the majority of the population. He emphasized the growing role of women in Somalia’s workforce, noting targeted programmes that offer skills training, microfinance support and pathways into both public and private sector roles.
He also spotlighted efforts to support vulnerable groups, including internally displaced families and people with disabilities, stressing that labor reform must go hand in hand with social protection.
“A nation cannot move forward if segments of its population are left behind,” he told the gathering.
This year’s conference, themed “Local Experiences, Global Achievements, and Success Stories from the Islamic World,” brought together labor ministers from across OIC member states to exchange policy models that could inspire replication across borders.
For Somalia, the platform was more than diplomatic formality — it was a moment to show that recovery is no longer a distant aspiration but an active policy agenda.
Observers noted that Somalia’s presence at the conference signaled growing confidence in its institutional capacity. As global economies grapple with unemployment and inequality, Mogadishu is positioning itself not as a beneficiary of aid, but as a partner in innovation.
Mohamed’s participation marked a significant step in deepening Somalia’s engagement with the wider Islamic labor community — and in proving that Somali resilience is now being matched by strategy and results.