Ahmad Meidari, Iran’s Minister of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare, used the 12th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting in Hyderabad to urge the grouping to take the lead in designing a fair global economic order.
Speaking on the margins of the two-day gathering hosted by India under its 2026 BRICS chairship, Meidari proposed that BRICS collectively resist modern colonialism and work towards a just international framework—a vision he later expanded upon in a separate meeting with the Iranian diaspora in the city.
The 12th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting, held in Hyderabad under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," brought together ministers, heads of delegation, representatives of workers' and employers' organisations, and knowledge partners from member states to deliberate on the future of work. The meeting concluded with the adoption of a joint declaration reflecting shared commitments to decent work, inclusive growth, and deeper cooperation on employment policies.
The declaration outlines concrete progress across four priority areas. On social security, members agreed to progressively expand coverage in line with national circumstances and capacities. On gender inclusion, they committed to strengthening policy frameworks that empower women through skills access, parental leave, and protection against harassment, while promoting women's representation in leadership roles across both public and private sectors. Regarding employability, members took note of a feasibility study being conducted by the ILO in collaboration with India and Brazil on an International Reference Classification of Occupations, and encouraged participation in pilot programmes in the digital, care, and green sectors. On digital technologies, the group pledged to share innovations and support gig and platform workers through peer learning and South-South cooperation.
Meidari, in his address to the plenary, said the gathering provided a valuable platform for exchanging national views on welfare and labour economics. He thanked India for its hospitality and reaffirmed Iran's commitment to the fundamental goals of the BRICS process, citing the declaration of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro as a guiding reference for peaceful conflict resolution and the establishment of a just order.
During a later interaction with Iranians residing in Hyderabad, Meidari paid tribute to their cultural authenticity, and entrepreneurial abilities, praising their role in maintaining ties with the homeland. He contrasted Iranian migrants—whom he described as builders of civilisation—with colonial occupiers, noting that British aggression after World War I had halved Iran's population. "Wherever Iranians have been present, they brought prosperity," he said, adding that Iran's history, with its ancient governance, architecture, poetry and universities, reached a level of civilisation-building 300 years earlier than many nations.
