OVERVIEW OF ASEAN ACTIVITIES ON HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT-Priorities in Labour and Employment

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Dr. Donald TambunanSocial Welfare, Women, Labour and Migrant Workers Division

ASEAN Secretariat

The 2nd ASEAN HR Conference: Human Resource for Economic Recovery and Development,25 May 2010, Ha Noi.

Overview of Labour Force in ASEAN Region

• Labour Market in ASEAN –up to 2007 (source: ILO report, 2008)Employment in ASEAN Member States increased from 260.6 million in 2006 to 268.5 million in 2007 – 7.9 mio additional jobs.Employment growth particularly strong in Indonesia (4.7%), Malaysia (2.6%), Singapore (2.5% among resident population and 6.6% when non-resident are included), and the Philippines (2.4 %)Shift towards industry and services. Employment in industry and services expanded by 5.1 and 3.3% respectively. Job growth in agriculture only 1.9%. 72% of the region’s employment growth in industry and services.Number of vulnerable workers remained massive, estimated 161 million workers, or 60% of the ASEAN workforce in 2007

• Different situations after the Global Financial Crisis in 2008/9 (to be reported by ILO)

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Human Resources Development

Mechanism for ASEAN Cooperation in Labour and Migrant Workers

ASEAN SUMMIT

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ASEAN COORDINATING COUNCIL

ASEAN SOCIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY COUNCIL

ASEAN LABOUR MINISTERS MEETING (ALMM)

SENIOR LABOUR OFFICIALS MEETING (SLOM)

SLOM WORKING GROUP ON PROGRESSIVE LABOUR

PRACTICES TO ENHANCE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF ASEAN

(SLOM-WG)

ASEAN COMMITTEE ON THE IMPLEMENTION OF THE ASEAN

DECLARATION ON THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF

MIGRANT WORKERS (ACMW)

ASEAN OCCUPATIONAL

SAFETY AND HEALTH NETWORK (OSHNET)

SLOM WG ON THE HIV PREVENTION AND CONTROL ON THE

WORK PLACE

ASEAN Frameworks for Cooperation in Labour

• ASEAN Charter (ratified in December 2008)• ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant

Workers (Jan 2007)• ASEAN Commitments on HIV and AIDS (Jan 2007)• Cooperation Agreement between ASEAN Secretariat and ILO (March 2007)• ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint (March 2009)• ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint (Nov 2007)• ALM Work Programme (2001-2010)• ALM Work Programme (2010-2015)

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ASEAN Frameworks (cont)

• Human Resources in the ASEAN Charter One of the purposes of ASEAN as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter provides the basic principles for the cooperation, i.e.:

“…to develop human resources through closer cooperation in education and life-long learning, and in science and technology, for the empowerment of the peoples of ASEAN and for the strengthening of the ASEAN Community”

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ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint (2009 – 2015)

• Selected Strategic Objectives concerning labour and employment:

Investing in human resource development: Enhance and improve the capacity of ASEAN human resource through strategic programmes and develop a qualified, competent and well-prepared ASEAN labour force that would benefit from as well as cope with the challenges of regional integration. Strategic objective onPromotion of decent work: Incorporating decent work principles in ASEAN work culture, safety and health at work place and ensuring that the promotion of entrepreneurship becomes an integral part of ASEAN’s employment policy to achieve a forward-looking employment strategy. Strengthening entrepreneurship skills for women, youth, elderly and persons with disabilities: Increase the participation of women, youth, elderly, persons with disabilities, vulnerable and marginalised groups in the productive workforce by enhancing their entrepreneurial skills, particularly to improve their social well-being and contribute towards national development and regional economic integration.

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ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint

“Free Flow of Skilled Labour” is one of the five core elements under “Single Market and Production Base” in the AEC Blueprint Relevant actions:• Enhance cooperation among ASEAN University Network (AUN)

members to increase mobility for both students and staff within the region; and

• Develop core competencies and qualifications for job/occupational and trainers skills required in the priority services sectors (by 2009); and in other services sectors (from 2010 to 2015); and

• Strengthen the research capabilities of each ASEAN Member Country in terms of promoting skills, job placements, and developing labour market information networks among ASEAN Member Countries.

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ALM Work Programme 2001-2010:Relevant Priorities

(i) Priorities on HRD and employment generationObjectives:• Formulate strategies that enhance job creation and promote

employment• Facilitate and enhance capability of AMS to find ways of

generating employment• To formulate ASEAN strategies to promote cooperation in the

generation of employment opportunities(ii) HRD Planning and labour market monitoringObjective:• Enhance capacity for formulating and implementing a

comprehensive and integrated HRD strategy on a continuous basis

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ALM Work Programme 2001-2010:Relevant Priorities Priority areas (cont.)

(iii) Enhancing labour mobilityObjectives:• To ensure the availability of competent and skilled manpower

through better HRD strategies and plans;• To promote better mobility of labour through the establishment of

networks of professional accreditation bodies as part of a larger strategy to enhance labour market flexibility in the region;

• To promote faster integration of CLMV (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam) members into the ASEAN; and

• To enhance the capability of AMS to cope with economic downturns by information exchanges and best practices.

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Selected HRD-related activities in ASEAN

• ASEAN Plus Three Workshop on Youth Entrepreneurship, Nov 2007

• ASEAN-OSHNET Plus Three Policy Dialogue on OSH Management System, Dec 2007

• 11th Human Resource Development (HRD) Programme for Officials in ASEAN Countries, 25 Nov – 4 Dec 2008, Seoul

• Regular convening of the ASEAN HR Conference (1st Summit/Conference, 22 Oct 2008, Singapore; 2nd Conference, 25 May 2010, Ha Noi)

• ASEAN-Japan Collaboration Programme for Strengthening the Basis of Human Resources Development in CLMV Countries-Phase II (2008-2011)

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Selected activities (cont)

• Enhancing Skills Recognition Systems in ASEAN (2004-2007)

• ASEAN-ILO Technical Workshop on Labour Market Statistics, October 2007, Putrajaya, Malaysia

• Workshop on Labour Market Information and Analysis in ASEAN countries, 2-4 March 2010, Bandar Seri Begawan

• ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS)—Initiative led by the ASEAN Economic Ministers

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ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS): brief progress on MRA

• Launched by ASEAN Economic Ministers at the 5th ASEAN Summit, 15 Dec 1995

• The AFAS is aimed at substantially eliminating restrictions to trade in trade services among ASEAN Member States in order to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of ASEAN services suppliers.

• At the 7th Summit (Bandar Seri Begawan, 5 Nov 2001), ASEAN Leaders mandated the start of negotiations of MRA to facilitate the flow of professional services under AFAS

• An MRA enables professional service providers registered/certified in its signatory countries to be equally recognised in other signatory countries

• MRA does not warrant unresctricted free flow of foreign professionals, relevant domestic regulations and market demand still applies.

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Concluded MRAs in ASEAN

• Engineering Services• Nursing Services

• Architectural Services• Surveying Qualifications• Accountancy Services• Medical Practioners• Dental Practioners

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Implementation of ASEAN MRAs• ASEAN is now focusing on implementing all signed MRAs• Typical processes in implementation preparation phase - setting up implementing committee and its rules and

procedures - Setting up secretariat for implementation - Establish recognition/assessment mechanism - Compilation of related domestic rules and regulations• Typical processes in implementation phase: - Review of recognised institutions - Review of applicants - Establish work programme

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ALM Work Programme 2010-2015

• Adopted by the 21st ALM, Ha Noi, 24 May 2010

• Overall objective: to build towards the vision of better of quality of life, productive employment, and adequate social protection for ASEAN peoples through enhancing workforce competitiveness, creating a harmonious and progressive workplace, and promotion of decent work for all.

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Strategic Priorities• Legal foundation: to ensure that labour rights and

conditions of work are protected in law and its application

• Institutional capacity: to ensure that Government bodies have the capacities to oversee enforcement labour laws and regulations

• Social Partners: Informed social dialogue to take place among labour sector partners at the national and regional levels

• Labour market and workforce development: labour marker to generate decent employment opportunities and the workforce development system to contribute to the creation of a competitive workforce

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Strategic priority on Legal markets and workforce development

Thematic areas:(i)Addresing the employment impacts of

trade liberalisation and recovery from global economic crisis

(ii)Promoting progressive labour practices(iii)Enhancing labour mobility(iv)Enhancing labour market monitoring

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Challenges

• Gaps among AMS• Regional vs. National interest• Cross-cutting nature• Resource mobilisation

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Thank you

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