Filipino migrant workers in the teeth of vicious human trafficking and trafficking of illegal drugs have found an ally in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said ASEAN will leave no stone unturned for offenders of the so-called modern day slavery.
According to Global Slavery Index, the Philippines ranks 33rd out of 167 countries which have high prevalence of human trafficking cases. The report estimates the there are 401,000 Filipinos living in modern slavery (0.40% of the total population in the country). It also noted the 47.67/100 vulnerability of Filipinos to many forms of this slavery, which includes forced labor. This underlines the reality that a lot needs more to be done.
Though, the Philippines has been ranked with Tier 1 by the 2017 US Department of State Trafficking in Persons (TIP). It is regarded as the most comprehensive resource of governmental anti-human trafficking efforts. It rates nations on how effectively it is addressing the problem of human trafficking within the country.
In a statement, DFA said, “The ASEAN Foreign Ministers may provide guidance and instructions on how to further promote and protect human rights in ASEAN based on ASEAN’s Terms of Reference and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration.”
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, and his counterparts from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam pointed out regional and international issues and concerns in each country. Seventeen other dialogue partners, including major powers United States, Russia, Japan, and China joined the meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center.
Some of the issues that were tackled during the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) were human trafficking and trafficking of illegal drugs. The diplomats also discussed issues in the Middle East, disputes in the South China Sea, and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Cayetano, as he led the ASEAN AMM, noted how the organization has delivered on its promise of peace, stability and economic developments for its people since its foundation.
The Foreign Ministers pointed out possible areas of cooperation to address the regional and international concerns faced by the member countries.
“We are now an ASEAN community that is resilient and dynamic, enjoying the respect and admiration of many other countries and other regional organizations around the world,” said Cayetano.
Preparations for the upcoming related ministerial meetings and the Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting at the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly meeting in New York in September were also discussed in the meeting.
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