The technical consultation starts a year-long ASEAN process to develop ASEAN Guidelines on Portability of Social Security Benefits for Migrant Workers led by the Government of Cambodia with support from the ASEAN Secretariat and the ILO. The ASEAN Guidelines will support implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on Portability of Social Security Benefits for Migrant Workers adopted in 2022, and guide the ASEAN Member States in concluding bilateral social security agreements.

Objectives of the first consultation include:

1. Discuss key concepts and coordination principles relating to portability of social security benefits;
2. Learn from experiences in advancing portability of social security benefits in other regions, especially the Southern African Development Community (SADC); and
3. Review and discuss a draft outline for the ASEAN Guidelines on Portability of Social Security Benefits for Migrant Workers. The feedback received on the draft outline will guide drafting of the ASEAN Guidelines.

The meeting will bring together about 80 participants including representatives of ministries of labour and social security agencies from ASEAN Member States, employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations, civil society organizations, resource persons and ILO staff.

Experts from the ILO’s labour migration and social protection teams in Bangkok and Geneva will provide technical support and inputs to the meeting. The ILO’s support to the first consultation and the overall ACMW process is channelled through TRIANGLE in ASEAN, which is a partnership between Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the ILO.