Assistant Director and regional director for Asia and the Pacific of International Labour Organization (ILO) Yoshiteru Uramoto has urged South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) for strategic cooperation in a bid to protect and promote migrant worker´s rights in the region. 

He said SAARC countries share many of the common challenges and opportunities related to recruitment and employment of their out-bound migrant workers. “There is a need to come together for greater strategic cooperation among labour sending countries in the South Asia to promote a fair migration agenda for the migrant workers as the SAARC forum can play a key role to ensure millions of migrant workers and their families get the fair deal they deserve,” reads a press statement issued by ILO Country office Nepal. 

Yoshiteru, who came to Kathmandu on 21 September leading a high-level delegation, met with State Minister for Labor and Employment Tek Bahadur Gurung, Secretary General of SAARC Arjun Bahadur Thapa, Secretary General of the South Asia Regional Trade Union Council Laxman Basnet, president of All Nepal Federation of Trade Unions (ANTUF) Shalik Ram Jamarkattel, among others. 

“Yoshiteru expressed high hopes that forthcoming SAARC Summit will include an agenda on migrant workers,” the statement read.

Published on: 25 September 2014 | Republica