The International Labour Organisation and the Singapore Ministry of Manpower will continue their cooperation to promote decent work in Southeast Asia following the extension of their Partnership Agreement until the end of 2021.

The Agreement will see ILO and the Ministry work together in three key areas namely: occupational safety and health; fostering social dialogue and cooperation between governments, employers, and workers; as well as other labour and workplace practices.

“Since it was first signed in 2011, this partnership agreement has delivered tangible benefits throughout the region,” Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa, ILO Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, said. “We greatly welcome the commitment of the Singapore Ministry of Manpower to supporting these joint activities and sharing its expertise on work related issues with countries and partners throughout ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). This work is more important than ever as we seek to build back better from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Aubeck Kam, Permanent Secretary of the Singapore Ministry of Manpower added, “Singapore is pleased with the extension of the Partnership Agreement with the ILO. It reflects Singapore’s continued commitment to working with the ILO to share experiences and best practices to promote decent work for workers, especially in these uncertain times. Activities under the Partnership Agreement will be complemented by the work of the Regional Centre for the Future of Work, recently launched by Singapore to raise regional capabilities and foster regional conversations related to work issues.”

Technical cooperation has covered the development of an occupational safety and health profile in the tiny nation of Brunei Darussalam, employment disputes in ASEAN and risk assessment in the Philippines. Training has been carried out for labour inspectors in Vietnam as well as for government officials in Brunei Darussalam on Labour Force Surveys and Labour Market Information Systems (LMIS). A number of study visits have also been supported including for Vietnamese and Cambodian delegations relating to industrial relations and the National Wages Council.