Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers
Protecting and promoting the rights of migrant workers
The Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers (TF-AMW) comprises trade unions, human rights and migrant rights non-governmental organisations, and migrant worker associations. It is aimed at supporting the development of a rights-based framework for the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers, in line with ASEAN's Vientiane Action Plan.
The TF-AMW welcomes the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers as an important step forward to protect the human and labour rights of migrant workers within the ASEAN region. THE TF-AMW Civil Society Proposal: ASEAN Framework Instrument on the Protection and Promotion of the
Rights of Migrant Workers was formally proposed to the ASEAN Senior Labor
Officials Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, in May 2009. The Framework Instrument
was drafted, reviewed, revised, and finalized in a bottom-up process of 8
national consultations and 7 regional consultations attended by the major trade
union, NGO, and community-based organization networks in ASEAN in 2007-2008.
The TF-AMW views that migrant workers are not commodity but human beings. From this perspective, migrant workers are seen as human beings with rights and dignity.
The TF-AMW calls on ASEAN Countries to uphold and implement the highest standards in labor rights including decent work and occupational health and safety standards, equal pay for equal work, freedom of association, right to form and join trade unions and associations, social protection - social security based on non-discrimination and gender equality principles.
ASEAN includes both major labor importing countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei, and major exporting countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. In accordance with the Vientiane Action Plan (VAP), the ASEAN Committee on Migrant Worekrs has started discussions on the elaboration of an ASEAN Instrument on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. December 18th, 2009, the TF-AMW launched
an important resource book for the campaign to achieve a comprehensive ASEAN
agreement that will protect the human rights of migrant workers. The book features the full text of the civil society ASEAN
Framework Instrument on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant
Workers. The book also features the full text of each of the final national consultations
statements from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. TF-AMW also included key letters and
statements made to ASEAN officials and national governments on various aspects
of the ASEAN led process to fulfill the promise of the ASEAN Declaration on the
Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.
Senior ASEAN official Donald Tambunan wrote the introduction of the resource
book, showing the ASEAN Secretariat’s support for processes like this to bring
the involvement of ASEAN peoples in the organization. He said that “The
development and publication of this document is yet more evidence of the strong
interest of ASEAN civil society to promote the ASEAN Community building
process. The ASEAN Secretariat therefore congratulates the TF-AMW for this
effort. We would like to encourage the TF-AMW to continue its engagement with
ASEAN through the consultation process on the protection and promotion of the
rights of migrant workers at the national and regional levels.”
The TF-AMW encourages the governments to develop their policies and agreement
on migration using any and all of civil society’s proposals, and we urge our
fellow civil society activists to join the TF-AMW’s lobbying and advocacy
efforts for adoption of the civil society proposal.
Copies of the publication are available from Sinapan Samydorai, the Convener of
the TF-AMW, who can be contacted at fax: + 65 6425 0709 ; email:
samysd@yahoo.com or from the Forum Asia office at fax: +662 653 2942; email:
info@forum-asia.org; office address: 246 Times Square Building, 12 Floor, Room
12-01 Sukhumvit Road, between Soi 12-14, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.
Electronic copies of the Civil Society Proposal can also be mailed out in
response to emails to the Convener of the TF-AMW at: samysd@yahoo.com
Please download PDF format: TF-AMW Civil Society Proposal:
ASEAN Framework Instrument on the protection and promotion of the rights of
migrant workers
http://www.workersconnection.org/resources/Resources_72/book_tf-amw_feb2010.pdf
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