Cambodia

The ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour is an open platform for the review, discussion and exchange of the best practices and ideas between governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and civil society stakeholders on key issues facing migrant workers in ASEAN. The forum also has produced recommendations to advance the implementation of the principle of the ASEAN declaration and protection and promotion of the rights of the migrant workers. 

In January 2013, the OECD launched the project, “Interrelations between Public Policies, Migration and Development: case studies and policy recommendations”, which aims to enhance partner countries’ capacity to incorporate migration into the design and implementation of their development strategies. The project seeks to better understand how international migration affects non-migration related public policies, and conversely, how these affect migration.

In 2013, the Cambodian Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training launched 8 prakas (ministerial orders) on standards for Private Recruitment Agencies (PRAs), their on-site service and repatriation processes, recruitment processes and pre-departure orientation training, the use of service contracts, inspection and ranking of PRAs, a process by which migrant workers can lodge complaints, and penalties and rewards for PRAs.

Thailand aims at addressing the socio-economic disparities that are seen to be one of the main causes of migration in the sub-region. For this reason its capacity building efforts in the sub-region involve a range of economic development projects along border areas with neighboring countries, notably (but not limited to) under the ACMECS framework.

The Migration Resource Centers (MRCs) provide correct information on labour migration process, wages, working conditions and employment opportunities in destination countries (Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia) in a joint ILO/IOM effort. The recent DIFD-ILO project seeks to promote "no fee" migration corridors as part of efforts to combat forced labour.

The TRIANGLE project aims to significantly reduce the exploitation of labour migrants in the region through increased legal and safe migration and improved labour protection. The project will promote both bilateral and regional approaches to deal with shared concerns, make regionalism more effective, and enhance the capacity of institutions in ASEAN. The project objectives are in line with the strategic priorities of the ASEAN Labour Ministers Work Programme (2010-2015).

The Tripartite Action to Protect Migrants Workers from Labour Exploitation (the GMS TRIANGLE project) aims to strengthen the formulation and implementation of recruitment and labour protection policies and practices in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, to ensure safer migration resulting in decent work.