On October 30, 2024, at 09.00 hours in the local time of the Republic of Singapore, the Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, was Vice-Chair of the 28th ALMM. The Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonsong Thapchaiyut, the Assistant to the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Sakdinart Sonthisakyotin, the Minister Counselor (on Labour) from the Labour Office in Singapore, Mr. Wuttisak Pathomsart, attended the 28th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM) at the Garden Pavilion, Republic of Singapore.
The Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said that the ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM) is a leaders’ forum to promote labour cooperation among ASEAN member states, with the main theme of strengthening capacity to cope with change and promoting innovation. This meeting also coincides with the 50th anniversary of Thailand being elected as Vice-Chair for the term of 2024-2026, together with Singapore. In the opening ceremony, each country presented its workforce’s strengths in a time capsule, which will be opened again in 25 years when ASEAN celebrates the 75th anniversary of relations. In this regard, the results of the meeting reflect tangible future work.
At the meeting, the ASEAN Secretary-General, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourm, reported on the progress and implementation of relevant issues of member countries to draft a strategic plan after 2025. The issues include human resource development, skilled labour mobility, social security rights protection, green job development related to the impact of global climate change, migrant worker rights protection, occupational health and safety development, and informal sector protection, for example.
Mr. Phiphat continued that he reported on the progress of the ASEAN Declaration in Thailand on the Protection from Child Labour, including the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, which was adopted at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits. Thailand supports the content and principles of the Declaration. The Ministry of Labour has an action plan for 2023-2027 under the vision of Thailand being free from the worst forms of child labour by 2027. It focuses on the development and enforcement of laws and emphasizes cooperation from all sectors in implementing prevention measures, as well as developing a management system and monitoring and evaluating the implementation to be comprehensive and sustainable.
“From November 4 to 6, the Thai Ministry of Labour will organize a workshop to review the implementation of the ASEAN Roadmap on Eliminating the Worst Forms of Child Labour, which aims to exchange knowledge and good practices in eliminating child labour to set a plan after 2025,” concluded Minister Phiphat.
