By ROY C. MABASA

The International Labor Organization has launched a five year program to improve protections, skills development and employment opportunities for migrant workers across Southeast Asia.

The TRIANGLE Partnerships for Fair and Effective Labor Migration in ASEAN program, backed by Australia and Switzerland, was launched Wednesday on the sidelines of the 19th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labor in Manila.

The program will work at the regional, national and local levels to improve access to safe migration pathways, decent work, skills development and recognition, social protection and support services.

About 24 million international migrants originate from ASEAN countries, while the region hosts roughly 11 million migrants, including some 7 million who have moved within ASEAN, according to the ILO.

Many migrant workers continue to face high recruitment costs, gaps in labor and social protection, hazardous working conditions and barriers to having their skills recognized. Those vulnerabilities can heighten the risk of exploitation and trafficking, including forced criminality linked to scam centers.

“Grounded in international labor standards, TRIANGLE Partnerships will connect ASEAN commitments with national action and services on the ground,” said Kaori Nakamura Osaka, ILO assistant director general and regional director for Asia and the Pacific.

The program will operate in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Timor Leste. It will focus on five areas across the migration cycle, including fair recruitment and regular migration pathways, skills mobility and recognition, social protection and portability of benefits, labor protection and decent work, and return and reintegration.

Governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, ASEAN institutions, civil society groups, migrant worker organizations and the private sector will take part in the program.

Australia has supported ASEAN efforts on safe and fair labor migration for more than 15 years, including more than a decade of ILO work under the TRIANGLE initiative.

Australian Ambassador to ASEAN Tiffany McDonald said the new program would translate regional commitments into practical measures while addressing emerging challenges, including those linked to scam centers.

“Effective labour migration can support inclusive economic growth, strengthen regional connections and create opportunities for workers, employers and communities,” McDonald said.

The program will also place greater emphasis on skills development and recognition, building on the earlier TRIANGLE initiative.

Swiss Ambassador designate to Indonesia, Timor Leste and ASEAN Konstantin Obolensky said migrant workers should be able to develop relevant skills, have them recognized and use them to obtain better employment opportunities.

TRIANGLE Partnerships will link ASEAN cooperation with national policies and services, including Migrant Worker Resource Centres that provide information, counseling, legal assistance, training and referrals.

The program will run through 2031 with approximately $20 million in funding from Australia and Switzerland and will be implemented by the ILO.