ACV-CSCIASIA.ORG, Bangkok – The collaborative effort by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) addresses issues faced by the migrant workers deployed to Japan.
A new regional joint work plan has been developed to enhance access to remedies for migrant workers from South-East Asia deployed to Japan. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aimed at addressing the challenges faced by these workers.
The Final Regional Workshop on Access to Remedies for Migrant Workers from South-East Asia to Japan was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 11 February 2025. The workshop saw participation from representatives of governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations and social partners from Cambodia, Indonesia and Viet Nam, along with key stakeholders from the Philippines, Thailand and Japan.
Japan is a country of destination for many workers and technical intern trainees from South and South-East Asia, particularly from Viet Nam, Indonesia and Cambodia.
The workshop brought together participants, including the tripartite constituents, legal experts, recruitment agencies’ associations and civil society organizations, to discuss grievance mechanisms, empowerment of migrant workers, fair and ethical recruitment as well as implementation mechanisms and enabling environments.
The Joint Work Plan maps existing actions by stakeholders and proposes actions for collaboration under these four areas. It is a non-binding document that aims to strengthen cross-border coordination and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
During the event, Kenichi Shishido, Special Assistant to the President of JICA, addressed the issue of recruitment fees, introducing two key initiatives, JP-MIRAI and VJ-FERI.
JP-MIRAI (Japan Platform for Migrant Workers towards Responsible and Inclusive Society), established with JICA’s support, promotes information sharing, collaboration with the private sector in business and human rights, and public communication with multi-stakeholders. VJ-FERI (Vietnam-Japan Fair and Ethical Recruitment Initiative) is a project implemented by the ILO and JICA in collaboration with the Vietnamese government.
The workshop featured a discussion on the definition and rights of Technical Intern Trainees and how to lower recruitment fees charged to prospective migrant workers.
“Protection of migrant workers is one of the constitutional mandates of the ILO. To assure their protection, their access to remedies is key and it must be improved in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” said Akira Kawasaki, Technical Officer managing the ILO’s project “Survey for Co-creating a Joint Work Plan for Improving Access to Remedy of Migrant Workers from South-East Asia to Japan.”
The workshop also served as a forum for a regional network to promote cooperation and knowledge sharing on this topic. It took place as part of ILO’s Survey for Co-creating a Joint Work Plan for Improving Access to Remedy of Migrant Workers from South-East Asia to Japan initiative in partnership with JICA.
Going forward, the participants agreed to continue discussions with the ILO and JICA based on the Joint Work Plan.
