ASEAN DECLARATION ON THE PROTECTION OF MIGRANT WORKERS’ RIGHTS SIGNED 

22 January 2007 — Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban B. Conejos, Jr. announced that the leaders of the ten member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed on 13 January 2007 the “ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers” during the 12^th ASEAN Leaders Summit in Cebu City. 

Undersecretary Conejos explained that the ASEAN Declaration is “a very important regional instrument” because it is the first ASEAN instrument proclaiming the region's commitment to recognize and promote the rights of migrant worker is a result of a series of multilateral and bilateral consultations, dialogues, and drafting sessions. 

“The ASEAN Declaration contains the aspirations and sets forth the direction that the region wishes to pursue, so that concerns about migrant workers in the region can be addressed cooperatively. The Declaration includes, among others, specific provisions enumerating the respective obligations of sending and receiving countries, as well as the commitment of ASEAN as a region,” Undersecretary Conejos said.  

“The Philippines played a very crucial role in leading the ASEAN member countries towards the drafting of a common Declaration. Two opposing views of ASEAN member-countries – from labor-sending and labor-receiving – needed to be harmonized, and balancing the competing interests of countries of origin of migrant workers vis-à-vis the interests of countries of transit and destination for their respective sakes and that of the whole region proved to be a very challenging task,” he added. 

Undersecretary Conejos led the Philippine Delegation to the Directors General Meeting and the Senior Officials' Meeting on 10 January 2007, where the draft of the Declaration was finalized.  The Undersecretary articulated the Philippine position on the issue of providing protection and promoting the rights of migrant workers.  The Philippine Delegation also facilitated the productive exchange of views among delegations and helped the Meeting reach a common agreement despite certain contentious provisions. 

Assisting the Undersecretary in presenting the Philippines' position during the Meetings were Labor and Employment Undersecretary Danilo Cruz, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Luis Cruz and officers from the Office of the Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy.  END

/jay

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