1. Tripartite Action to Protect and Promote the Rights of Migrant Workers in the ASEAN Region ASEAN TRIANGLE PROJECT October 2012

2. Background and Rationale ASEAN commitments to enhance labour migration governance and protect migrant workers include: Roadmap for an ASEAN Community ASEAN Labour Minister’s Work-plan ASEAN Declaration on Promotion and Protection of Migrant Workers (2007) ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour The project will advance these commitments utilising ILO’s tripartite approach, technical expertise and regional experience.

3. Aim & Approaches Increased labour rights protection and decent work opportunities for women and men migrant workers in Southeast Asia. CDN$ 5.5 million allocation over four years (2012 – 2016). Tied to ASEAN objectives & strategies. Tripartite: ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Confederation of Employers and ASEAN Trade Union Council. Adopts a rights-based and a gender-responsive approach. Inter-related with the GMS (Greater Mekong-Sub-region) TRIANGLE project-funded by AusAID. The outcomes of the two distinct projects are intertwined, but are clearly distinguished by their emphasis on regional and national level activities.

4. Objective 1 Strengthened regional legal and policy framework to more effectively govern labour migration and protect the rights of women and men migrant workers. Support progress re: ASEAN Agreement on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour ASEAN labour mobility Promote ILO standards and international good practices on labour migration governance. Strengthen regional labour migration data collection/sharing.

5. Objective 2 Enhanced capacity of governments to oversee enforcement of labour and migration laws and regulations. Developing regional e-governance applications for recruitment, verification of employment contracts, wage protection. Tools (guide-lines) on assessing labour market requirements for foreign workers, emigration procedures, effective complaints mechanisms, sector specific labour inspection and OSH. Training for administrators, labour attaches/consular officials, labour inspectors e.g. labour dimensions of trafficking

6. Objective 3 Enhanced capacity of social partners to influence migration policy and protect the rights of women and men migrant workers. ASEAN Confederation of Employers (ACE) will develop a policy and action-plan on well-managed labour migration and protection of migrant workers. Tools (guide-lines) will be developed for ACE members on most pertinent aspects of recruitment/employment of MWs. ASEAN Trade Union Council (ATUC) will develop a policy and action-plan on protection of MWs. Tools will be developed for ATUC members on outreach to migrant workers and awareness of members on migration issues. Informed participation in policy-making

7. Ongoing/upcoming Activities Consultations with ASEAN Member States, ATUC and ACE on work-plan – on-going. 5th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour in October 2012 and preparatory meetings ASEAN TRIANGLE social partners meeting in October 2012 Training: ILO Labour Migration Academy, July 2013; ILO and Oxford University – Harmonizing Migration Policies and Governance in S.E. Asia, February 2013 (tentative). ADBI-OECD-ILO Roundtable on "Assessing labour market requirements for foreign workers and policies for regional skills mobility“, January 2013.

8. Thank you For more information, please contact ASEAN Triangle Project ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Tel: 662 288 1855, Fax: 662 288 3063 E-mail: baruah@ilo.orgbaruah@ilo.org imson@ilo.org www.ilo.org/asia