BRUNEI Council on Social Welfare (MKM) recently held a preparatory meeting among civil society organisations (CSO) and government agencies for the 9th Asean Forum on Migrant Labour (AFML) that will be held in Vientiane, Lao PDR this November 9-10.
The preparatory meeting held at Youth Centre was attended by officers and members of MKM, officials from Labour Department of Ministry of Home Affairs, the embassies of Republic of Indonesia and the Philippines as well as officers and representatives from Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Women’s Business Council and Young Entrepreneurs Association Brunei, according to a press release.
Sinapan Samydorai, the convenor for Taskforce on Asean Migrant Workers (TFAMW) was present to share the various national processes conducted in Asean member countries on consultation meetings and preparatory workshops both for receiving and sending countries and drafting of recommendations for the 9th AFML with focus on the theme ‘Better Quality of Life for Asean Migrant Workers through Strengthened Social Protection’.
Brunei’s preparatory meeting revolved around discussions on current situation of social protection for documented and undocumented migrant workers and improving access to social security and protection as well as ways towards working on social security portability for migrant workers in the country.
Recommendations were drawn on how to increase access to social protection by migrant workers as social protection has been recognised to play a crucial role in the Asean integration process with positive impacts on the overall productivity of the workers.
Group photo of CSOs and government agencies together with convener of TFAMW during the Preparatory Meeting for the 9th AFML. – MKM
It is a key element for buffering the impact of economic changes and promoting social cohesion within and between countries, especially with expected challenges posed by the regional integration, according to the press release.
At the 23rd Asean Summit in Brunei Darussalam in October 2013, the 10 Asean Leaders adopted a Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection, which reaffirms their commitment to building an Asean community that is “socially responsible and people oriented”, through at least the establishment of nationally defined social protection floors for all.
The declaration also recalls the commitment made by Asean member states when adopting the Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (2007) acknowledging migrant workers’ rights to equal social protection access, according to the press release.
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