The AFML is an annual activity of the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (ACMW). Each year it is hosted by the current chair of the bloc.
The 11th forum, slated for October 29 and 30 in Singapore under the theme “Digitalization to Promote Decent Work for Migrant Workers in ASEAN”, will focus on the digitalization of migrant labor management and digital services targeting migrant workers.
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Participants at the national meeting in preparation for the country’s participation in the 11th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour next October |
The national meeting was co-organized by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the Australian government's agency for the delivery of foreign aid Australian Aid.
Comprising seven working sessions, the meeting reviewed activities at national level in implementation of recommendations put forth by the previous AFMLs.
Participants also suggested Vietnam’s recommendations for the upcoming forum.
They said digital technologies can help facilitate and protect migrant workers’ rights, as they allow the workers to assess recruiters, compare reference exchange rates when sending money back home, and to form a network for information exchange and consultation, and access legal services, among others.
However, problems and risks also exist, such as security of personal information and database. Workers also face difficulties in using digital services due to poor quality of internet connection in certain areas.
Knowledge on digitalization and changes in future jobs are required to capitalize on the trend, they added.
Source: VNA