The ILO / ASEAN partnership for social protection

Promoting and strengthening social protection floors and systems in ASEAN

The ILO project funded by the Goverment of Japan provided support to the development of the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection (Brunei Darussalam, 2103) and its Regional Framework and Plan of Action (Kuala Lumpur, 2015), and now to its implementation.

More specifically, the ILO provided inputs to the 7th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (Bangkok, 2011), the 7th GO-NGO Forum on Social Welfare and Development (Hanoi, 2012). Similarly, the 8th ASEAN Senior Labour Officials Meeting, in May 2012, noted the Recommendations of the ILO-ASEAN tripartite seminar on unemployment protection (Ho Chi Min City, 2012) which called for implementing nationally defined SPFs, and improving articulation between social protection and employment promotion.

Ho Chi Minh City Recommendations on Income Security and ALMPs in ASEAN

More about the Ho Chi Minh city seminar, March 2012.

On 9 October 2013, the ten ASEAN Leaders adopted an ASEAN Declaration on strengthening social protection. The Declaration, which development has received support from the ILO, and the ILO/Japan Project, is closely aligned with the guiding principles prescribed by the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No.102) and the Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No.202).

In 2014, the ASEAN Trade Unions’ Statement on Strengthening Social Protection (Phnom Penh, 2014) and the evidence-based Employers’ position fed the Tripartite Recommendations on Strengthening Social Protection (Bangkok, 2014) adopted at the ILO-ASEAN tripartite seminar on social protection in Bangkok, November 2014. These Recommendations were officially presented at the ASEAN Multi-sectorial body for the drafting of the Regional Framework and Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection, in Siem Reap, December 2014.

Tripartite recommendations for strengthening social protection in ASEAN, 18 November 2014, Bangkok, Thailand

More about the Bangkok seminar, November 2014.

Engagement of social partners in the regional process through the ILO resulted in the recognition of the important role of workers’ and employers’ organizations in social protection issues as part of the Regional Framework and Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders in Kuala Lumpur, in November 2015.

ILO is continuing providing technical support and inputs for the effective implementation of the ASEAN Declaration and its Plan of Action both at national and regional levels. In particular the ILO is contributing to the development of a monitoring framework to measure future progress in extending social protection, in light of the Sustainable Development Agenda by 2013. In this sense, the ILO compiled the first report mapping the social protection situation in ASEAN in 2015, as baseline information to assess future progress in extending social protection.

Read the report: The state of social protection in ASEAN at the dawn of the integration.

Moreover, ASEAN Governments and social partners have flagged out the need to improve social protection to migrant workers as one of the key challenges posed by the integration of the ASEAN Community. The ILO is currently supporting a review of social security and migration laws in the ten ASEAN Member States, together with review of the implementation issues and obstacles that hinder migrant workers’ access to social protection. 

Downlaod the fact sheet for The ILO / ASEAN partnership for social protection

Other regional statements

24 March 2014. Statement of the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (ACSC/APF) 2014: Advancing ASEAN Peoples’ Solidarity Toward Sustainable Peace, Development, Justice and Democratisation

 
16-19 October 2012. Final Declaration 9th Asia- Europe People’s Forum, Vientiane, Laos
 
20 September 2011: Recommendations of the 6th ASEAN GO-NGO Forum for social welfare and development

Advocacy videos:

Why social protection in important to me? Thailand

Unemployment insurance in Viet Nam, an experience to be shared

Building a social protection floor in Thailand

Resources on social security for migrant workers in ASEAN:

Mahidol University, 2011: Migrant Workers' Right to Social Protection in ASEAN: Case Study of Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand

ILO SRO for South Asia, 2008: Ensuring the right to social security for ASEAN migrant workers through social security agreements

E. Tamagno, 2008: Strengthening social protection for ASEAN migrant workers through social security agreements

Other resources:

Link to the Association of South-East Asian Nations. External link

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