Fourteenth Asian Regional Meeting

The overall theme of the 14th AsRM is Realizing Decent Work in Asia. The concept of decent work encompasses employment creation and enterprise promotion, social protection, rights at work and social dialogue. The Meeting identified the opportunities and challenges for realizing decent work as the main pathway out of poverty and for creating a more productive and equitable society in Asia.

Every four years, the ILO Asian Regional Meeting brings together the political, economic and social actors from some 29 countries in Asia and the Pacific and 11 Arab States in West Asia. At the invitation of the Government of the Republic of Korea, the ILO Fourteenth Asian Regional Meeting (14th AsRM) was held in Busan, Republic of Korea, at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre (BEXCO) from 29 August to 1 September 2006.

The Meeting focused on the role of productive employment in people-centred development. At the United Nations World Summit in September 2005, world leaders made explicit reference to ILO employment goals and strongly endorsed fair globalization, full and productive employment and decent work for all as “a central objective of our relevant national and international policies as well as our national development strategies, including poverty reduction strategies, as part of our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals” (paragraph 47 of the Outcome Document). The Meeting was opportune for transmitting and amplifying this international commitment to addressing the global jobs crisis and, very importantly, for focusing on practical outcomes in making decent work a reality in the region.