ASEAN strengthens cooperation on protection of migrant workers

The event was hosted and chaired by Indonesia’s Ministry of Manpower as the ACMW Chair 2023-2024.

Cambodian workers return home from Thailand. (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Over 50 delegates from the ACMW focal points of all ten ASEAN Member States (AMS) and the ASEAN Secretariat attended the meeting. Participants from Timor-Leste’s focal points also attended as observers for the first time.

The meeting reviewed the progress on the implementation of the Action Plan (2018-2025) of the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. Key outcomes and challenges of the completed initiatives as well as the implementation of ongoing and planned projects were discussed.

The meeting also examined the results of the AMS’ second self-assessment on the implementation of the ASEAN Consensus. Steady progress and increased efforts were observed to have been made in realizing the commitments of the ASEAN Consensus.

The meeting also deliberated on the recently adopted ASEAN Declarations related to the protection of migrant workers, as well as the ongoing development of the respective guidelines to turn commitments into concrete actions.

Representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) also attended the opening session together with their respective donor partners from Australia, Canada, and the European Union (E.U.).

The opening session concluded with representatives of ILO and IOM agreeing to review and update the ongoing partnership and to explore other priority areas for future collaboration, including strengthening efforts and initiatives to prevent human trafficking and labor exploitation of migrant workers as well as promoting safe and fair migration in the region.

Source: VNA