More than 75 participants from mass and civil society organizations, trade unions, and government ministries participated actively in the Lao national consultation on the ASEAN Declaration on the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers from 2-3 October in Vientiane.

During the Consultation, the participants shared information on the situation of Lao migrant workers and made recommendations to better protect their rights.

The recommendations include proposals for creating decent employment opportunities in Lao for all workers, to ensure migrant workers in Laos and overseas are provided with decent working and living conditions, and terms of employment that respects core labour standards.

The National Consultation welcomed the important role the Lao government played in collaboration with its fellow ASEAN member states in adopting the Vientiane Action Programme.

It reaffirmed the importance of the creation of a regional agreement in the form of an Instrument and believed that when it is negotiated, this Instrument should be enforceable throughout ASEAN.

Labour migration will play a very critical role in the plans of ASEAN to bring about economic regional integration by 2015 and protection of migrant workers is vital for ASEAN to reach its vision of a “sharing, caring community’ that has been affirmed by the leaders.

To read the full Statement, please go to http://www.workersconnection.org/articles.php?more=102