The 12^th ASEAN Senior Labour Officials’ Meeting (SLOM) was held in Vientiane, Laos within the framework of the 24th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM) from May 11-12, seeking to secure sustainable employment for workers in the bloc.

The annual SLOM often reviews operations of the SLOM Working Group on Progressive Labour Practices to Enhance the Competitiveness of ASEAN, the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (ACMW), and the ASEAN Occupational Safety and Health Network of Actions (OSHNET).

The 12^th SLOM discussed the draft Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN, which looks to enrich skills for labourers, expand social welfare network and boost regional economic cooperation.

Participants also debated and adopted the 2016-2020 ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting Work Programme, the 2016-2020 ASEAN Senior Labour Officials’ Meeting Working Group, the 2016-2020 Work Plan of the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ACMW, and the 2016-2020 ASEAN-OSHNET.

The outcomes of the talks will be submitted to the 24th ALMM.

Apart from door-closed meetings between member states, open meetings with the International Labour Organisation and the International Organisation for Migration also explored the possibility for further cooperation to launch activities for 2016-2020.

Following the 12^th SLOM, the ninth ASEAN+3 Senior Labour Officials’ Meeting, the fifth human resources development meeting, the 24 th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting and the ninth ASEAN+3 Labour Ministerial Meeting will take place in Vientiane on May 13-15.

(Source: VNA)