Regional Conference on the Labour Dimensions of Trafficking

The Regional Conference on the Labour Dimensions of trafficking provides an opportunity to facilitate coordination and cooperation between the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (ACMW) and the Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOM-TC) on the labour dimensions of trafficking in persons. The SOMTC currently drives the implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on Transnational Crime, ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime, and Work Programme to Implement the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime. The ACMW’s workplan recognizes complementarity areas of work of its committee and SOMTC, and calls for coordination to avoid duplication of efforts.

The workshop provides an overview of the international and regional legal and non-binding frameworks that relate to trafficking in persons and labour migration; examine why domestic workers and fishers are particularly vulnerable to forced labour; discuss fraudulent recruitment and high fees imposed on migrants that often start their labour trafficking experiences; look at the different roles of labour inspectors, police, and prosecutors in identifying cases of labour trafficking; and put forward key principles of support for victims of trafficking in persons. Actionable recommendations on areas where various can work together to combat trafficking in persons and achieve stronger cross-sectorial cooperation will be adopted.