Advancing social justice, promoting decent work
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Policy dialogue on the mobility of health professionals
The EU-funded ILO - Decent Work across Borders Project organized a policy dialogue and discussed conclusions of commissioned papers on effectiveness of bilateral labour arrangements, working conditions of Filipino and Indian-born nurses in the UK, impact of migration of health professionals and services available to skilled migrants.
The importance of science in public policy has long been recognized. When public policy is supported by scientifically sound evidence, it is to the benefit of all.
In Manila, on Tuesday 23 July 2013, the European Union funded ILO - Decent Work Across Borders Project organized a policy dialogue meeting where more than 50 representatives from all relevant horizons discussed the conclusions of four (4) commissioned papers focusing on the effectiveness of bilateral labour arrangements in the promotion of decent work for migrant health workers, assessing the working conditions offered to Filipinos and Indians born nurses in the United Kingdom, documenting how the migration of health professionals impacted – or not – on the receiving countries health sectors and assessing the services available to skilled migrants in the Philippines.
Deputy Administrator Liberty Casco, on behalf of Administrator Hans Cacdac from the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration opened up the discussion with a message indicating the continued interest of POEA to improve policies and programmes in the best interest of migrants. Lawrence Jeff Johnson, Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines in his statement said that in order to design the best policy response , it’s critical to collect, to analyze data and to carryout research to be able to design efficient policy interventions for the benefit of all. .
As the DWAB project also look at the migration of health professions from India, a similar policy dialogue was organized in New Delhi on 26 July 2013.
In both cases, the meetings were golden opportunities to bring together, in the true spirit of social dialogue, representatives from government, employers, trade unions, professional organizations, recruitment agencies, academe, United Nations and NGOs. Those events created a space to reflect on the complexities of the migration of health professionals as it intersects with the human right to freedom of movement and residence, health and decent work.
The DWAB project is currently endeavouring to publish the commissioned papers in the format of ILO working papers. The executive summaries of the researches are already available on the project website. In order to engage receiving countries into this dialogue, DWAB is exploring the possibility to hold a similar meeting in Europe.
For further information please contact:
Ms Catherine Vaillancourt-Laflamme Chief Technical Adviser ILO-Decent Work Across Borders Project 19th Floor Yuchengco Tower RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue 1200 Makati City, Philippines Tel: +632 580 9900 or 580 9917 Email
Ms Jennifer Dela Rosa National Project Coordinator ILO-Decent Work Across Borders Project 19th Floor Yuchengco Tower RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue 1200 Makati City, Philippines Tel: +632 580 9900 or 580 9906 Email
Ms Seeta Sharma ILO DWT for South Asia and Country Office for India Core 4B, 3rd Floor India Habitat Centre Lodhi Road New Delhi-110003 India Tel: +91 11 4750 9200 Fax: +91 11 2460 2111 Email
