Colombo Process Accepts Indonesia’s Proposals on Migrant Workers Protection

Jakarta, InfoPublik – Indonesia and other member countries of Colombo Process that sent migrant workers abroad accepted two Indonesia’s proposals as an effort to improve migrant workers’ welfare and protection.

Those proposals are the need to create network in building labor market information system and to create labor inspector networking.

Manpower Minister Muhammad Hanif Dhakiri said that the acceptance of the proposals showed that Indonesia had a strong influence in Colombo Process.

Through the Colombo Process forum, Indonesia showed a commitment to improve the fate of migrant workers to the international world. All Manpower Ministers of member countires of Colombo Process supported the entire forum agenda of discussion by adding some emphasised proposals from Indonesia, Hanif said in Jakarta, Sunday (8/28) after attending the Colombo Process forum in Colombo, Sri Lanka, last weekend.

According to him, Indonesia’s proposals had become the emphasised parts in an effort to increase the protection of migrant workers, in addition to the five main issues discussed by manpower ministers and senior officials of the Colombo Process. Another thing that was also emphasised was related to health of migrant workers (health recognition).

The five main issues that had been discussed and incorporated into the content of the Declaration of Colombo were labor market analysis, skill and qualification recognition, promoting ethical recruitment, pre-departure orientation and empowerment, as well as remittancess.

Colombo Process is a ministerial regional consultative (non-binding) forum of labor-sending countries in Asia. The members comprise 11 Asian countries: Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia..

As the name implies, this forum was established in Colombo in 2003. Then, further meetings were held in Manila, Philippines (2004), Bali, Indonesia (2005), Dhaka, Bangladesh (2011), and this year’s Colombo meeting the fifth meeting.

In addition, the fifth meeting of the Colombo Process also accepted Cambodia as a new member country. After Cambodia joined the forum, it is expected that it will increase the strength of the position of the sending countries community of migrant workers in the fight for the protection and welfare of migrant workers.

The forum also re-entrusted Sri Lanka to lead the Colombo Process until the next leadership election. (Translator: Erik Limantara)