ASEAN study examined trade and labour links to support inclusive economic integration and decent work.
Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, H.E. San Lwin, delivered pre-recorded remarks at the launch of the ASEAN Regional Study Report on the Implications of the Inclusion of Labour Provisions in Free Trade Agreements on 9 September 2026 in Bali, Indonesia. The study examined the relationship between trade and labour and its relevance to decent work, resilient and sustainable supply chains, and inclusive economic integration under the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
The report was launched during the ASEAN Regional Seminar on Trade, Labour and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, held on 9–10 September 2026 in Bali. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Manpower of Indonesia and organised in coordination with the ASEAN Secretariat, with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Government of Canada.
In his remarks, H.E. San Lwin highlighted the Regional Study’s contribution to strengthening understanding of the interlinkages between trade and labour. He also underscored its relevance to efforts to advance decent work, promote resilient and sustainable supply chains, and support inclusive economic integration in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
The Regional Study was an initiative of the ASEAN Senior Labour Officials Meeting (SLOM), with support from the Government of Australia. It examined the implications of including labour provisions in free trade agreements, providing a regional basis for understanding the relationship between trade arrangements and labour considerations.
The report launch also featured remarks by Australian Ambassador to ASEAN, H.E. Tiffany McDonald. Her participation reflected Australia’s support for the regional study and the seminar.
The two-day seminar focused on trade, labour, and fundamental principles and rights at work, providing the setting for the launch of the regional report. The initiative brought together ASEAN’s labour-related institutions and supporting international partners to address the relationship between trade policy and labour considerations within the regional context.
Source: ASEAN
