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

Your Excellency Khun Boonchob and Ministry staff, Trade Union employers and representatives, colleagues and partners,

Happy New Year and I wish everyone good health. I am pleased to join you again at this National Programme Advisory Committee Meeting to discuss women’s labour migration in Thailand and the Safe and Fair Progamme.

Thailand continues to be a key destination country for migrant workers, as of November hosting about 2.3 million documented migrant workers from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar. Total migration is of course much higher, over 4 to 5 million according to IOM estimates.

I want to commend the Royal Thai Government and employers for providing migrant workers with access to vaccines and health care, bearing in mind that there are still people who need to be reached.

Before COVID-19, migrant workers contributed to anywhere between 4% to nearly 7% of national GDP, representing close to 5% of employment. Those numbers of course have changed in the past two years and bear watching.

We know that COVID has had a devastating impact, with many migrants losing their jobs, and they are often directly or indirectly excluded from social protection and income security measures against sudden job and wage losses.

Women account for almost half of all migrant workers in the ASEAN region. Along with those employed in vulnerable low-wage sectors, women migrant workers are often the first to be laid off, face insecurity as some regular migration channels have closed, and are affected by disruptions to health, social and justice services.

In precarious circumstances, risks of gender-based violence increase amid lockdowns, just as access to these essential services becomes more difficult.

The situation in some countries of origin has also prompted greater undocumented migration and increased risks of trafficking, abuse, and exploitation.

UN Secretary-General has called gender-based violence the “shadow pandemic”, urging that everyone be included in the GBV response.

For this to happen, equitable and inclusive access for all to social protection and services in response to violence is essential, regardless of migration status.

As we all know, this inclusive approach benefits all of society. Addressing the shared challenges posed by the pandemic, the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in November affirmed that reopening borders in a safe manner is needed for the recovery and long-term sustainable and inclusive growth.

Partnerships at every level are the basis of progress towards the SDGs, as well as the inclusive response to GBV that is fundamental to fair and just societies.

The Safe and Fair Programme, which is working in ASEAN to assure women migrant workers’ rights and eliminate violence against women and girls, is also made possible by partnerships to tackle the root causes of violence and make migration safe for all women.

I am pleased to see this collaboration between Line Ministries, civil society and migrant women’s groups and youth, as well as among UN agencies.

In this common goal of safe and fair labour migration in Thailand and across ASEAN, we are working on behalf of sustainable development and healthy societies for all.

I look forward to hearing from all of you about successes and challenges since last we met, and how we can inform our joint efforts.

Thank you.