New Platform for Migrant Worker Protection in Asia-Gulf

International stakeholders marked the launch of a dedicated platform for Cross-Regional Dialogue on Social Protection for Migrant Workers along the Asia-GCC corridor at a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the 114th International Labour Conference (ILC). Co-chaired by the Government of the Philippines and the GCC Executive Bureau for Ministries of Labour and Social Affairs, and supported by the International Labour Organization's (ILO) STREAM Programme, the platform will enable cross-regional engagement between countries of origin and destination on the extension of social protection to migrant workers.

The labour migration corridor between Asia and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is one of the world's most significant. Every day, millions of migrant workers contribute to economic growth and development across both countries of origin and destination. Across the GCC, governments have advanced reforms to strengthen labour market governance and enhance protection for migrant workers. Countries of origin in Asia have expanded migrant welfare mechanisms, insurance schemes and social protection arrangements for their citizens working overseas. As important as these efforts are, systems of social protection remain largely organized within national boundaries. Moreover, while regional platforms such as the Abu Dhabi Dialogue and the Colombo Process have increasingly highlighted the importance of social protection for migrant workers, there remains a need for more regular exchanges focused on implementation, cross-border coordination and practical solutions.

The cross-regional dialogue platform will work to foster mutual understanding, peer learning and institutional cooperation, while generating jointly informed solutions to improve migrant workers' effective access to social protection across borders.

"Strengthening social protection for migrant workers inherently requires inter-regional engagement, as protection gaps often arise at the intersection of origin and destination systems," said Hans Leo J. Cacdac, Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers of the Philippines. "The Philippines is proud to support social protection for migrant workers and their families and committed to advancing this agenda as the new incoming Chair of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue and in other fora. We hope the new platform will allow to identify concrete ways in which social protection systems can be better coordinated across border to ensure coverage and portability of social security rights."

H.E. Mohammed bin Hassan Al-Obaidli, Director General of the Executive Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs in the GCC States noted that "This platform functions as a framework for the exchange of successful strategies, the promotion of prominent initiatives from the GCC, and the resolution of obstacles to fulfil mutual goals in the field of social protection and labour migration. The Executive Bureau remains committed to backing programmes that foster collaborative efforts and long-term partnerships."

"The fact that this platform is jointly steered by countries of origin and destination is perhaps its greatest strength," said Valerie Schmitt, Deputy Director of the ILO Social Protection Department (SOCPRO). "The two co-chairs bring something unique: leadership from both sides of the migration corridor. This sends a powerful message: effective social protection can only be achieved through partnership, dialogue and shared responsibility."

STREAM's partners highlighted the role of cross-regional cooperation in supporting dialogue on migrant-inclusive social protection. "Migrant workers connect our economies across borders. The challenge is to ensure that our systems of protection become equally connected," said Patricia Barandun, Head of Section Migration and Forced Displacement at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). "The launch of a space for structured corridor-wide dialogue represents an important step towards addressing the challenge before us. It is at the heart of how we can make protection more effective, more coordinated and more responsive to the realities of labour mobility in the 21st century."

Michele Cervone, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the European Union to the United Nations, emphasized that "Integrating social security systems across borders is a defining challenge for modern labour markets. As countries work towards universal social protection, a major question is 'How can protection remain effective in a world where people are increasingly mobile?' By generating practical experiences and solutions, this platform can contribute to global efforts to close protection gaps for migrant workers and their families. European countries have long experience on matters of social security coordination and committed to sharing these with partners in Asia and the GCC through STREAM."

"Over the past decade, we have seen important progress along this corridor. But efforts continue to evolve in parallel," closed Gladys Cisneros, Chief of the ILO's Labour Migration Branch (MIGRANT). "Today's launch marks the beginning of what we hope will become a sustained platform for dialogue, cooperation and practical action on cross-border social protection coordination - with the ultimate aim of contributing to effective access to better protection for migrant workers and their families, especially the most vulnerable."

With the support of the ILO STREAM Programme, the platform will organize technical exchanges focused on practical implementation, cross-border coordination, and progressively expanding access to protection. Over time, the platform aims to serve as a foundation for a broader international exchange mechanism, with the potential to evolve into a global dialogue on social protection for migrant workers.