The International Labour Organization (ILO) has welcomed steps taken by leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen support for migrant workers and prevent child labour.
Meeting at a summit in Vientiane, Laos, ASEAN leaders adopted the Vientiane Declaration on Skills Mobility, Recognition and Development for Migrants, and its Checklist and the ASEAN Declaration on Prevention of Child Labour Including Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour. They also agreed on the ASEAN Guidelines on Portability of Social Security Benefits for Migrant Workers and the ASEAN Guidelines on the Placement and Protection of Migrant Fishers.
Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa, ILO Director for Asia and the Pacific hailed the agreements. “The adoption of these important Declarations and Guidelines by ASEAN leaders marks a significant step toward ensuring rights and protections across the region for migrant workers and children. “ILO is proud to have supported the development of these important instruments and will continue to work with ASEAN members and the ASEAN Secretariat to help ensure their effective implementation,” she said.
