Background and Principles
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is one of the fastest-growing areas in the world, with increasing economic and social integration expressed through free trade agreements and free trade zones. Foreign workers play an increasingly important role in the economic development of this region, necessitating more coordinated policies and programs. These aim to ensure that migration policies contribute to inclusive economic growth, protect vulnerable individuals, and enhance the efficiency of government and private sector resources. Labor mobility is a multi-sectoral issue.
The GMS 2030 Strategy Framework and the outcomes of the 24th GMS Ministerial Conference emphasize safe and systematic migration through the establishment of cooperative mechanisms for policy discussions on migration and addressing situations affecting international migration in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant cross-border labor migration, posing challenges and obstacles for both origin and destination countries. Consequently, the GMS Program plans to establish a Task Force on Labor Migration to promote the integration of GMS member countries’ operations with other cooperation frameworks for comprehensive problem-solving, including knowledge exchange and best practices from international organizations.
Recent Progress
The GMS Program is in the process of establishing a Task Force on Labor Migration in the GMS subregion. It has also collaborated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to organize two meetings on labor migration in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
The first meeting was held on May 30, 2023, via videoconference. It served as an academic forum focusing on addressing the economic and social impacts of COVID-19. Key conclusions included reducing barriers in the cross-border process for migrant workers, developing health screening systems, and improving welfare systems and policies for workers who were repatriated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second meeting was held on April 26, 2024, in Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia. Key points included: (1) Collaborating to make the labor migration system from source countries more efficient, cost-effective, and promoting understanding of the benefits of formal systems, which provide better protection of rights and welfare benefits. Governments should also consider measures to accommodate more semi-skilled labor migration. (2) Destination countries should promote employment and skill development related to the green economy, such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and electric vehicles, to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts. Simultaneously, migrant workers can remit money and transfer knowledge back to their families in source countries to enhance climate change resilience. (3) Utilizing technology to reduce remittance costs, as migrant workers often lack understanding of or access to formal financial services. Promoting the use of financial technology among migrant workers can reduce remittance costs to source countries and increase access to other financial tools.
