Accelerating Actions Towards Sustainable Development Goals on Safe Migration and Decent Work for Migrant Workers in ASEAN

The ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour (AFML) is an open platform for the review, discussion and exchange of good practices and ideas between governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and civil society on key issues facing migrant workers in Southeast Asia. Each year the Forum develops recommendations to advance the implementation of the principles of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

Theme

The theme of the 18th AFML is "Accelerating Actions Towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Safe Migration and Decent Work for Migrant Workers in ASEAN" and the two subthemes are:

• Subtheme 1: Safe and Secure Environments Free from Forced Labour: This subtheme assesses progress made and remaining protection gaps in achieving SDG 8.7 on eradication of forced labour, ending modern slavery and human trafficking and SDG 8.8 on protection of labour rights and promoting safe and secure working environments of all workers, including migrant workers, particularly women migrants, and those in precarious employment. The discussions will review available statistical data and research evidence on labour protection, occupational safety and health and presence of forced labour in various sectors employing migrant workers. Specific focus will be to review of data on indicator 8.8.1 measuring frequency rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries by sex and migrant status.

• Subtheme 2. Reduced Recruitment and Remittance Costs: This subtheme will assess remaining challenges and progress towards SDG 10.7 on facilitating orderly, safe, and responsible migration and mobility of people, with a specific focus on SDG indicator 10.7.1 measuring recruitment cost borne by employee as a proportion of yearly income earned in country of destination. The discussion will also review available data on progress towards SDG 10.c on reduction of the transaction costs of migrant remittances to less than 3 per cent and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent by 2030. Recommendations will be made on priority actions for accelerating actions towards achievement of 10.7 and 10.c in the remaining five years until 2030

The 18th AFML will make recommendations on priority actions for accelerating actions towards achievement of 8.7, 8.8, 10.7 and 10.c in the remaining five years until 2030.

The ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour is a multi-stakeholder open forum held annually to discuss protection of migrant workers and labour migration governance in the ASEAN region. It is a recurring activity of the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (ACMW) under the Action Plan (2018 – 2025) to Implement the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. The AFML serves to provide the relevant stakeholders – tripartite members of the ASEAN Member States, civil society organizations, and international organizations – with a platform to exchange ideas and best practices on issues relating to migrant workers in the ASEAN region.

TRIANGLE in ASEAN support to the 18th AFML included hosting of tripartite plus national preparatory meetings in several ASEAN countries to develop national recommendations; hosting regional employers’ and workers’ preparatory meetings and supporting their participation in the AFML; and publishing a thematic background paper.