Resident Coordinator’s Remarks at the Sixth National Programme Advisory Committee Meeting (NPAC) Safe and Fair: Realizing Women Migrant Workers’ Rights and Opportunities in the ASEAN Region

Khun Phairoj Chotikasatien,

Ms. Sara Rezoagli,

Oktavianto,

Sarah,

Representatives from the government,

employers’ and workers’ organizations,

civil society members,

and social dialogue partners.

I am pleased to welcome you to the strategic collaboration between the EU and the UN in partnership with the government and civil society to promote an inclusive, just policy and operational framework for migrant workers with a specific focus on women.

This is the final National Programme Advisory Committee (NPAC) meeting of the Safe and Fair programme, which has been in operation for six years. Your technical expertise has been critical in delivering concrete results.

Today is an opportunity to draw key lessons from this initiative, explore strategies to sustain the results and accelerate SDG achievement.

I would like to thank the Royal Thai Government and the European Union for this partnership and the shared values that we bring to bear in advancing the rights of migrant workers.  

I would like to draw out six key lessons from my perspective that will serve as important building blocks for scaling up and sustaining the successes emerging from the Safe and Fair programme.

First lesson relates to the imperative of filling the policy gaps to address vulnerabilities of migrant workers. Steps taken include the adoption of digitized documentation processing to protect rights of migrants, mutual recognition of skills, reduction in visa application and extension fees, as well as social security to incorporate damages and compensation for irregular migrant workers. This will greatly reduce the burden on migrant workers.

Second, it is vital to continue adopting transformative strategies, bringing a whole of society approach led by young people and leveraging digital technology to shift negative narratives and stereotypes against migrants. Through Safe and Fair, half a million people were reached through public outreach to raise awareness on these issues.

Third, Safe and Fair has delivered concrete results in:

Coordinated essential services for victims of violence piloted in Mae Sot a model ready to be scaled up.

Nearly 52,000 migrants, more than half of whom are women can access information, services, and certified skills’ trainings.

1,500 women migrant’s victims of violence and trafficking are provided with case management and support.

Improved the collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated labor migration statistics by building the capacities of the Department of Employment, the Immigration Bureau, and the National Statistics Office.

Fourth, we cannot underestimate the power of migrant worker volunteers who are so critical to supporting their communities with regard to information and referrals on rights and health. Empowering them and strengthening their connection with communities, and local authorities is critical.

Fifth, this lesson focuses on what we need to do more in the coming years to strengthen the labour migration governance frameworks on violence against women and supporting survivors who are migrant workers. This will need a whole of government approach to mitigate the violations and abuses which occur as a result of intersectional identities of women migrant workers. It is therefore critical to continue adapting a multi-stakeholder approach as we move forward.

The last lesson relates to the UN. We found that taking a joined-up UN strategy together with ILO, UN Women and UNODC ensured a comprehensive and efficient approach to design, implementation, and delivery of results. Each UN agency played to its comparative advantage by bringing together diverse networks and women’s led organizations, including labor migration actors.

Let me conclude by underscoring that Thailand is a champion country for the Global Compact for Migration, clearly demonstrating its commitment to orderly, safe, and regular migration.

Also, we recognize Thailand’s leadership role within ASEAN on ending violence against women and girls, including women migrant workers.

To support the country in this role, the Safe and Fair Program has been an instrumental contributor towards this objective, bringing together line ministries, policymakers, youth groups, women migrant workers and private sector to make migration safer and boosting migrant rights.

The EU-UN partnership stands ready to continue enabling labor migration for women within Thailand and ASEAN at large in partnership with all of you.

Thank you.