Advancing Skills Mobility, Recognition and Development in ASEAN: Unlocking Opportunities for Migrant Workers through the Vientiane Declaration

Labour migration is a key driver of development across the ASEAN region. Migrant workers contribute significantly to both origin and destination countries by filling labour shortages, boosting productivity, and supporting families and communities through remittances and skills transfer. However, their skills often remain unrecognized, underutilized, or unrewarded. The ASEAN Vientiane Declaration on Skills Mobility, Recognition and Development for Migrant Workers and its Checklist, adopted at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in October 2024, represents a key collective commitment by ASEAN Member States to strengthen labour and skills mobility pathways.

This report informed the development of the Vientiane Declaration by reviewing evidence, existing frameworks, and practices related to skills mobility in the region. It identifies key challenges and opportunities, highlights regional and international best practices, and provides practical guidance on strengthening skills-based labour mobility, with a focus on low- and middle-skilled migrant workers.

This publication was developed by the ILO and IOM with support provided by the Australian Government and the Government of Canada under the terms of the ILO’s TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme, the Republic of Korea Government under the terms of the ILO/Korea Partnership programme and the Swiss Confederation through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation under the terms of IOM’s PROMISE Phase II.