ASEAN Summit Adds Two Important Documents On Manpower

JAKARTA - The 43rd ASEAN Summit produced two important documents in the employment sector.

The two documents in question are Guidelines on the Protection of Migrant Workers and their Families in Crisis Situations and ASEAN Declaration Guideline Documents on Increasing Competitiveness, Resilience, and Labor Scarcity for the Future of Work.

"The two guidelines (guidelines) are concrete evidence that ASEAN has the same view to advance the region and make ASEAN the epicenter of growth," said the Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah quoting Antara.

Ida said that the guidelines for protecting migrant workers and their families in the ASEAN Guideline on Protection of Migrant Workers and Family Members in Crisis Situations were very much needed considering the number of migrant workers in the ASEAN region reached seven million people.

"This amount certainly has a big impact on the economy and progress in the ASEAN region," he said.

The important contribution of migrant workers to the region, according to him, encourages ASEAN to draw up guidelines to protect them and their families in crisis situations.

"This guideline is needed to strengthen the resilience of migrant workers and their families in the context of preparedness from crisis conditions, both in the form of response and recovery from crisis," said Ida.

Meanwhile, the Guidance Document of the ASEAN Declaration on Promoting Competitiveness, Resilience, and Agility of Workers for Future of Work, among others, includes harmonization and recognition of skills, labor productivity, business development and youth entrepreneurship, and industrial relations.

The guidelines also include social protection, public employment services and adaptive labor market policies, the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as an increase in the exchange of knowledge and strengthening of ASEAN partnerships.

"This guideline is a concept of a just transition, which supports the transition to a sustainable and fair economy in facing the dynamics of employment challenges such as the impact of the pandemic and digitization," said Ida Fauziyah.