CHAMPASAK, Lao PDR (ILO News) – H.E. Ina Marčiulionytė, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) and H.E. Baykham Khattiya, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW), and Mr Viengprasith Thiphasouda, ILO National Coordinator for Lao PDR visited Champasak province on 19 May to observe the activities under the Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia; Safe and Fair: Realizing women migrant workers’ rights and opportunities in ASEAN region (SAF); and Reducing vulnerability in Lao PDR: Advancing social protection and labour rights and entitlements in the coffee and tea sectors (SOLAR) projects, implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) with financial support from the EU.

The high-level delegates made a visit to Paksong city in Bolaven Plateau to observe coffee and tea production groups at work and interact with farmers benefitting from the SOLAR Project. Coffee is the top agricultural export of Lao PDR, supplying markets in Asia, Europe, and North America – with Bolaven Plateau as an important agricultural area where 95 per cent of Lao coffee is produced. Workers engaging in the coffee and tea sectors are, however, mostly found in informal and vulnerable employment and are often left out of Social Security.

Through building the capacity of civil society organizations and other grassroots stakeholders, the SOLAR project is working in close collaboration with the MoLSW to ensure better occupational safety and health for workers and the development of collective mechanisms for workers to share their problems and concerns – equipping them to better realize their labour rights.


“The Government of Lao PDR recognizes the importance of improving working and living conditions for Lao workers, which will contribute to the growth of the coffee and tea sectors in Lao PDR. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare will continue to work with the ILO and EU to improve labour rights protection and occupational safety and health for Lao workers in these critical industries,” said H.E. Baykham Khattiya, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare.

Later in the day, the delegates visited the Migrant Assistance Office and the Home of Dreams Shelter, operated under the same roof by Village Focus International. The activities are supported by the Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia and, till recently, the Safe and Fair programme to provide information on safe migration and services to women and men migrant workers. Support includes capacity building and direct assistance for deported migrant workers, services to women survivors of violence and victims of trafficking. As part of the visit, the delegates participated in a round-table discussion to hear about the experiences of migrant workers who received support from Village Focus International and the challenges they experienced while working abroad and upon returning home.

Many Lao workers migrate internationally in pursuit of better job opportunities, such as in the agricultural, construction, domestic work, fishing and seafood processing sectors. ILO research shows that many Lao migrant workers experience labour exploitation and abuse during their recruitment and employment. Women migrants experience heightened vulnerability to violence during the migration process, particularly for those employed in isolated and precarious occupations. With support from the EU through the ILO’s migration programmes, the Migrant Assistance Office and the Home of Dreams are working to improve the protection of labour rights for migrant workers and deliver gender-responsive assistance services in cases of exploitation, violence and harassment for Lao migrant workers and migrant returnees.

“While labour migration can be a powerful tool to empower migrant workers, it also brings challenges with ensuring decent working conditions and protection of workers' rights. Safe labour migration and labour rights protection are core values of the EU and part of the EU’s strong commitment to human rights, decent work, and sustainability. The EU is committed to expanding safe migration for decent work for Lao migrant workers through its partnership with the Lao Government and the International Labour Organization,” said H.E. Ina Marčiulionytė, EU Ambassador to Lao PDR.


The visit ended with a reaffirmation of the ILO’s inclusive approach to expanding decent work for Lao workers: “Decent work is a key area of engagement for the ILO and its constituents. The ILO will continue to work closely with the Government, social partners and civil society organizations to ensure decent work and social justice for all Lao workers, both at home and abroad,” said Mr Viengprasith Thiphasouda, ILO National Coordinator for Lao PDR.

Media contacts:

Loveleen De
Programme Manager, SOLAR project
ILO in Lao People's Democratic Republic
Email: del@ilo.org

Pichit Phromkade
Communications Officer, Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia programme
ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Email: phromkade@ilo.org

Narissara Chandravithun
Communications Officer, Safe and Fair programme
ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Email: chandravithun@iloguest.org


SOLAR project (Reducing vulnerability in Lao PDR: Advancing social protection and labour rights and entitlements in the coffee and tea sectors) promotes labour rights and access to social protection and occupational safety and health (OSH) for coffee and tea workers in Bolaven Plateau, Lao PDR. SOLAR works with the government and social partners like MOLSW, LFTU, and Lao Coffee Association on one hand to improve the social protection and OSH system and service delivery; and with Oxfam, civil society, and community leaders on the other hand to organize and empower workers on the other hand. The project’s beneficiaries are informal and vulnerably employed women and men working in the coffee and tea sectors in Bolaven Plateau.

Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia is an initiative of the EU and the UN, implemented by the ILO in collaboration with IOM and UNDP, with the overall objective of promoting regular and safe labour migration and decent work for all migrant workers in the fishing and seafood processing sectors. The programme addresses the characteristics of working in the fishing and seafood processing sectors as well as the barriers and risks present during migration, which can lead to unsafe migration, decent work deficits, abuse and forced labour.

Safe and Fair: Realizing women migrant workers’ rights and opportunities in the ASEAN region is part of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls, a global, multi-year initiative between the EU and UN. Safe and Fair is implemented through a partnership between the ILO and UN Women, in collaboration with UNODC, with the overriding objective of ensuring that labour migration is safe and fair for all women in the ASEAN region.