BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 23 November 2023 – The 19th ASEAN Senior Labour Officials Meeting (19th SLOM), participated by labour ministries of all ASEAN Member States, concluded today.
The two-day meeting was opened by SLOM Chair, Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto R. Bitonio, Jr. of Department of Employment and Labour of the Philippines. In his remarks, he highlighted that the meeting is in alignment with the 43rd ASEAN Summit’s direction on resilience, new growth drivers and forward-looking ASEAN, and ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on ASEAN as an Epicentrum of Growth.
He further emphasised the need for ASEAN to enhance efforts and collaboration to strengthen labour market’s response and workers’ productivity, competitiveness, and resilience towards a future-proof, inclusive and sustainable ASEAN Community.
The meeting reviewed progress of implementation of the ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Work Programme 2021-2025 in areas of occupational safety and health, labour inspection, protection of migrant workers including migrant fishers, social protection, green jobs promotion, gender mainstreaming in labour and employment policies, and promotion of future-ready workforce, among others.
Follow-up initiatives to ASEAN Declarations adopted in the past five years were also discussed. Notably, there are guidelines being developed to exemplify commitments in the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection of Migrant Workers and Family Members in Crisis Situation, ASEAN Declaration on the Placement and Protection of Migrant Fishers and ASEAN Declaration on Portability of Social Security Benefits for Migrant Workers in ASEAN.
Incoming Chair of ASEAN, Lao PDR, shared their priorities in labour sector for 2024. Collaboration was explored extensively with the International Labour Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET). The labour sector welcomed future regional cooperation, especially for initiatives planned in the ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Work Programme and Work Plans of SLOM’s subsidiary bodies.
The meeting was followed by the 21st ASEAN Plus Three Senior Labour Officials Meeting (21st SLOM+3) on 23 November. The Ministry of Home Affairs of Brunei Darussalam hosted the meetings with representatives of China, Japan and Republic of Korea present, and Timor-Leste as observer.
The meeting welcomed Singapore’s readiness as the incoming Chair to host the 28th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting, 20th SLOM and related meetings on 28-31 October 2024.