Labour migration and trafficking within the Greater Mekong Subregion: proceedings of Mekong subregional experts meeting and exploratory policy paper

This publication covers a joint initiative -by the ILO's Mekong sub-regional project to combat trafficking in children and women (ILO TICW-project) and the UN Interagency Project to Combat Trafficking in Children and Women (UN-lAP) -to explore legal labour migration alternatives to trafficking in children and women. The initiative results from advice provided to both projects by a committee of sub-regional advisors (see background in Part I for details).

Central to the joint initiative are an exploratory paper, prepared by Dr Ronald Skeldon (reproduced in part III ), and the proceedings of a sub-regional meeting of experts called to discuss the exploratory paper along with country- specific and subregional considerations for follow up (see part II for details).

The exploratory paper suggests ways and explores opportunities to regularize migration flows within the Greater Mekong Sub-region, and attract return migrants to stimulate local development. The suggestions in the paper may appear politically controversial but are presented in the spirit of debate to stimulate new points of view about an important issue in the sub-region. The assumption throughout the paper is that improved, enlarged, and new legal labour migration channels can substitute for the trafficking of children and women into exploitative situations.