TEN years after the 2007 Cebu Asean Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers,there is now an Asean Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers after its signing by the association’s 10 leaders in November 2017 during theAsean’s 50thnniversaryasummit in Manila. The major Philippine newspapers headlined the Consensus as a good step that would have beneficial effects on migrant workers in the Asean region, particularly the Filipino workers overseas. It is extremely disappointing that Asean leaders decided to limit the scope of migrant workers’ rights in this way,”. “Asean was able to agree on a legally binding treaty on human trafficking, so they should be able to do the same for migrant workers. Chapter 6(Obligations of Receiving States) and Chapter 7 (Commitmentsof ASEAN Member States.

Source: Manila Times December 22, 2017 18:45 UTC