Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep recently joined other ASEAN member states’ labour officials to attend the 25^th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep (fifth from left) and other ASEAN member states’ labour officials at the meeting. (Photo: asean.org)

With the theme “Promoting Green Jobs for Equity and the Inclusive Growth of ASEAN Community”, the meeting looked to review activities in the labour sector over the past two years and discussed measures to promote green jobs in the region.

Speaking highly of the ASEAN high-level meetings’ adoption of declarations on jobs and those enhancing labour safety and hygiene, the labour officials underlined that this would help promote green jobs, settle environmental impacts, and build the sustainable economy towards creating more jobs and ensuring social welfare for workers.

The documents will serve as a basis for ASEAN members to develop an integrated and equal society, they said.

In addition, the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, which has already been ratified by ASEAN leaders, was given special attention at the event.

Furthermore, the participants lauded efforts made by all ASEAN member states, as well as the working group on compiling the ASEAN Consensus, in building and completing the regional action plan for the 2018-2025 period. They said that this is a vivid illustration of the member nations’ commitments to realising the consensus, overall contributing to protecting the rights of migrant workers.

At the meeting, the participants also spent time reviewing and approving the ALMM’s terms of references and adopted a joint statement, which focuses on the Declaration on Promoting Green Jobs for Equity, Inclusive Growth of the ASEAN Community.

Labour sector plays an integral role in national development as well as in regional integration. The ASEAN cooperation on labour is led by the ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM) which meets every two years and is supported by the Senior Labour Officials Meeting (SLOM). Since the historical 1^st ALMM in April 1975 in Jakarta, Indonesia, the ASEAN cooperation on labour has continuously grown in depth and scope./.

( VNF )