The Labour Migration Stakeholders Meeting was opened by Union Minister U Thein Swe, ILO Liaison Officer, Mr Rory Mungoven, and Ms Katy Webly,  Director of LIFT.   Attended by 45 representatives from relevant government ministries, Overseas employment agencies, international agencies, labour organisations and civil society organisations the meeting reviewed the activities implemented in 2018 and presented for endorsement those proposed for 2019.

Reviewing the activities of the Development of International and Internal Labour Migration Governance (DIILM) project supported by the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund, and the ILO Tripartite Action to Enhance the Contribution of Labour Migration to Growth and Development in ASEAN (TRIANGLE II)   supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia and Global Affairs Canada 2018, the following achievements were highlighted:

• Progress in the review and drafting of the Overseas Employment Law.
• Generating greater support for development of labour protection laws and policies for domestic workers both within Myanmar and overseas.
• Strengthening the capacity of all sectors involved in governing migration and providing services to migrants.
• Opening of new Migrant Resource Centre in Taungyi Regional Labour Exchange office.
• Support for the Monitoring committee of the MOEAF Code of Conduct to monitor compliance of overseas employment agencies.

In the afternoon, the proposed activities of  the two projects were presented for input and endorsement. New activities included:

• Innovative outreach and skills training courses for domestic workers
• Development of new Migrant Resource Centres in border areas and at the North Dagon Pre departure training centre.
• Supporting a decent work framework for internal and international migrant workers, particularly focusing on social protection, skills development and labour disputes settlements.
• Support on return and reintegration of migrant workers including financial literacy trainings, twinning of origin and destination and study of skills of returned migrants.

Details of a new project, SAFE & FAIR: Realizing women migrant workers’ rights and opportunities in the ASEAN region (2018-2022) supported by EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls will be shared at a joint ILO and UN Women Project Advisory Meeting in February.