Civil society groups pushing for protection of ASEAN migrant workers – Pinoy Abroad – GMA News Online – Latest Philippine News.

AMITA O. LEGASPI, GMA News

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Much has to be done to pressure the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to protect the 13.5 million migrant workers of the region, civil society groups said.

During a forum on migration, Sinapan Samy Dorai, convenor of Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers, said civil society groups need to pressure ASEAN governments to protect the rights of migrant workers.

“The ASEAN Declaration (on the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers) is already there. But who is actually implementing, monitoring and reporting (compliance to it) to the ASEAN committee on migrant workers?” Dorai asked during the ASEAN-Civil Society Conference.

Adopted in 2007, the Declaration outlines the obligations of countries that receive and send migrant workers.

The Declaration mandates ASEAN countries to promote fair and appropriate employment protection, payment of wages and adequate access to decent working and living conditions for migrant workers,

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