Promoting the Global Development Initiative with a Focus on South-South Cooperation in Employment in ASEAN

Countries in South-East Asia acknowledge that employment deficits hinder both economic growth and their ability to achieve sustainable and inclusive development. Although certain policies have been implemented to protect workers and businesses amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the region's recovery is still incomplete and uneven.

In addition, countries in South-East Asia face significant challenges related to increased international labour migration, technological disruptions in the world of work, large proportions of informality and the transition to a green economy in response to climate change. These dynamics intensify the importance of promoting decent jobs – especially for women, youth, informal workers and other vulnerable groups – while prioritizing the need to enhance productivity and working conditions for all workers.

To tackle these challenges, the International Labour Organization, in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China, has launched the project "Promoting the Global Development Initiative with a Focus on South-South Cooperation in Employment in ASEAN" (ProSSCE-ASEAN). This initiative aims to offer technical support and policy advice to countries in South-East Asia in various areas, including employment policy development and implementation, capacity building, employment diagnostics through technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation of employment policies and programmes, and the enhancement of employment services and entrepreneurship.

Knowledge generation and sharing: The project aims to support policy makers in designing and implementing employment policies at various levels. It also aims to establish a platform for knowledge sharing that is accessible to policymakers and partners in the region.

Policy dialogue: The programme will facilitate tripartite policy dialogue at national and subregional levels to enhance the employment policymaking process that addresses the unique characteristics and needs of countries in South-East Asia.

Capacity development: Through the implementation of trainings, seminars, and interactive workshops, the project aims to strengthen the capacities of ILO tripartite constituents and enhance the policymaking process in areas such as employment promotion, public employment services, and entrepreneurship.

South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) will be integrated across all key areas of the project, ensuring its relevance and inclusion in the overall work.

Results achieved at the conclusion of the project:

• Validated employment priorities for target countries in South-East Asia through extensive research and contextual analysis.
• Developed employment policies and strategies to contribute to a human-centred recovery, emphasizing gender, youth, just transition, digitalization, informality, and public employment services and entrepreneurship development in target countries in South-East Asia.
• Implemented employment policies and strategies, including pilot projects that enhance high-quality employment outcomes aligned with the specific needs of target countries in South-East Asia, potentially including national strategies for youth employment.
• Validated areas for strengthening public employment services and entrepreneurship development through research and contextual analysis.
• Facilitated knowledge sharing and exchange of lessons and experiences through South-South and triangular cooperation, fostering peer learning of employment policies and strategies in the region.