Untitled Document
|
>>News |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Background
According to best estimates, over 2.5 million Asian workers leave their countries every year under contract to work abroad. A large proportion of workers from South and Southeast Asia head for the Gulf States to perform all types of service, trade and construction jobs, while others move to North America , Europe and Asian countries.
As the Asian overseas worker populations grow in numbers and diversify in terms of destination and source, their impact is increasingly felt. It is estimated that overall numbers of Asian overseas workers will increase, due to declining working populations in many parts of the world, combined with a continued need for skilled workers and service personnel.
|
 |
The countries of origin of labour migrants are increasingly engaged in protecting their migrants from exploitative practices in recruitment and employment. As well as providing them with appropriate services, such as pre-departure information and orientation, welfare assistance during their stay abroad and reintegration assistance. This support is important for migrant workers who often find themselves in a vulnerable situation.
Greater efforts are also needed to optimize the benefits of organized labour migration, including the development of new markets and increasing remittance flows through formal channels.
Building institutional capacity and inter-ministerial coordination; increasing cooperation with destination countries in protecting migrant workers; providing better access to labour markets; and preventing illegal migration are all important aspects of an effective regional response to the challenges of labour migration.
|
In response to calls from several Asian labour sending countries, the Ministerial Consultations for Asian Labour Sending Countries were held in 2003 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The ten initial participating states - Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam - made recommendations for the effective management of overseas employment programmes and agreed to regular follow-up meetings.
Since the meeting, the member states of the "Colombo Process" have met in Manila in the Philippines and Bali in Indonesia in 2004 and 2005 respectively to review and monitor the implementation of previous recommendations and identify areas of future action.
The Third Ministerial Consultations in Bali in 2005 were enriched by the participation of several countries of destination - Bahrain, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, Korea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates .
|
|
As the Colombo Process evolved with each Ministerial Consultation, new members and partners have joined and the Consultations have expanded in scope.
The process aims to continue to provide a forum for dialogue among member states. With the continued participation of the destination countries, this dialogue is set to evolve and contribute to strengthening migration management both in the Asian region and in countries of destination .
|
|
|
| |
| |
Objectives |
The aim of the Colombo Process is to provide a forum for Asian labour sending countries to:
-
Share experiences, lessons learned and best practices on overseas employment.
-
Consult on issues faced by overseas workers, labour sending and receiving states, and propose practical solutions for the well being of vulnerable overseas workers.
-
Optimize development benefits from organized overseas employment, and enhance dialogue with countries of destination.
-
Review and monitor the implementation of the recommendations and identify further steps for action.
|
|
The dialogues continue to evolve around three thematic foci which are:
• Protection of and Provision of Services to Migrant Workers. In particular, protecting migrant workers from abusive practices in recruitment and employment, and providing appropriate services to migrant workers in terms of pre-departure information and orientation and welfare provisions. |
 |
• Optimizing Benefits of Organized Labour Migration. This includes the development of new overseas employment markets, increasing remittance flows through formal channels and enhancing the development impact of remittances.
• Capacity building, Data Collection and Inter-State Cooperation. This includes institutional capacity building and information exchange to meet labour migration challenges. Increasing cooperation with destination countries in the protection of migrant workers and access to labour markets; and enhancing cooperation among countries of origin.
|
|
| |
| |
Members and Observers |
11 Members
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
8 Destination Country Participants
Bahrain, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.*
* For the first time in September 2005, certain destination countries participated in the Ministerial Consultations
International and Regional Organizations
|
|
|
Asian Development Bank (ADB), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Department for International Development, UK (DFID), European Commission, Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the World Bank.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has provided technical support to the Colombo Process since its inception and serves as its Secretariat. |
| |
| |
Achievements
|
-
Sharing of good practices, data and information through regular dialogue among countries of origin of overseas contractual workers in Asia
-
A comprehensive training curriculum for labour attachés and overseas employment administrators was developed and joint training courses were implemented in Kuwait (2004), Bangkok (2005), China (2006) and Islamabad (2006).
-
A regional workshop for employment agencies in Asia on placing workers in Europe and ethical recruitment was held in Manila (2006).
-
A number of policy studies have been carried out to support the efforts of member governments on the following topics: (hyperlink to publications section)
• Protection of migrant workers.
• Capacity building and inter-state cooperation.
• Regulatory frameworks for recruitment of migrant workers.
• Minimum standard employment contracts.
• Pre-departure orientation programs: best practices.
• Welfare funds for migrant workers.
• Training and skill development for migrant labour.
• Flow and utilization policies on migrant workers' remittances.
-
A feasibility study to establish an Overseas Workers Resource Centre (OWRC) in one of the labour receiving countries in the GCC has been completed. This could provide vital information and support services to labour migrants and governments
-
Implementation at national level of recommendations adopted at the Ministerial Consultations.
|
| |
|
