This statement reflects the views of the participants of a regional consultation of key stakeholders convened by the Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers (TF-AMW) on November 24-25, 2008, to discuss the rights of migrant workers under the ASEAN Declaration on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers. At the outset, we commend ASEAN for following through to ensure the timely establishment of the ACMW, which held its first meeting in Singapore in September 2008. We take this as a clear indication of ASEAN's commitment to implement an Instrument (as called for by the above-mentioned ASEAN Declaration) which will effectively protect migrant workers who are among ASEAN's most vulnerable groups.
The TF-AMW kindly requests your assistance in supporting the development of a system of substantive participation and engagement to be set up between the newly established ACMW and the TF-AMW. The TF-AMW serves as the platform for ASEAN civil society groups working for the implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. We believe that this action would be in line with your vision for a "sharing, caring" ASEAN where citizens' participation is both sought and respected. It is our view that the way this request for greater participation by civil society organizations is handled by ASEAN will be an important indicator of the level of collaboration that a "New ASEAN" plans to extend to its citizens and their grass-roots organizations in the future.
As you already know, the TF-AMW is hard at work developing a civil society version of the Instrument on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrants Workers. The TF-AMW has so far held seven national consultations (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) to channel the voice of national civil society organizations into our process. The recommendations resulting from those consultations have informed our work on the Instrument, and we have just completed our intensive review and revision of the 3rd draft of that Instrument. When completed, we intend to submit the final version of ASEAN civil society's Instrument to both you and to the Senior Labor Officials Meeting (SLOM) at its upcoming meeting in Bangkok in 2009.
The civil society Framework Instrument is guided by four central principles. First, it will include and cover all migrant workers in ASEAN. Second, it will recognize that migration benefits both sending and receiving countries. Third, it will follow the principles of non-discrimination in treatment provided to migrant workers and their families. Finally, given the predominance of women who are migrating for work, it will ensure that migration policies and practices are formulated with attention to gender concerns.
Obviously, this is just a short summary of civil society's Instrument on the Protection and Promotion of Migrant Workers, which now stretches to 35 pages and 171 articles. We look forward to continue the dialogue with you and your staff in the future on the specifics of the system of protection for migrant workers that the TF-AMW and its component regional and national networks of NGOs, trade unions, and other stakeholders desire.
Finally, since many of these issues are central to the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Blueprint which will be approved by the ASEAN Summit in December, we have taken the liberty of sharing this letter with the delegates of the ASEAN Social Forum meeting in Manila on November 27-28, 2008.
I look forward to discussing these issues with you and your staff in the near future.