By ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights
The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), led by the Representatives of Thailand and Malaysia, convened the “ASEAN Workshop on Strengthening the Implementation of Business and Human Rights to Address Forced Labour and Modern Slavery and Enhance Migrant Worker Protection Through Human Rights Due Diligence” in Bangkok on 13–14 July 2026.
Jointly organised with the Ministry of Justice of Thailand, with support from the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), International Justice Mission (IJM), and ASEAN-ACT, the Workshop brought together approximately 80 representatives from ASEAN Member States, relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies, international organisations, the private sector, civil society, academia, workers’ organisations, and business and human rights experts. The Workshop aimed to strengthen regional cooperation in advancing responsible business conduct and protecting migrant workers from forced labour and modern slavery. It also served as the kick-off event for the 10th Bangkok Business and Human Rights Week.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Dr. Bhanubhatra Jittiang, Representative of Thailand to AICHR, emphasised that effective human rights due diligence is essential to protecting migrant workers and preventing forced labour and modern slavery, as well as to maintaining ASEAN’s credibility and competitiveness in increasingly interconnected global supply chains. “Respect for human rights is not an obstacle to competitiveness; it is increasingly one of its conditions. ASEAN must compete through quality, responsible recruitment, and transparent supply chains — not through a race to the bottom built on the exploitation of workers,” he said.
Over the two-day Workshop, participants exchanged experiences and good practices on key business and human rights issues in ASEAN, including ethical recruitment, human rights due diligence, corporate accountability, supply chain transparency, and the strengthening of judicial and non-judicial mechanisms to improve access to effective remedies. The Workshop also provided an opportunity for Thailand to share its experience in advancing human rights due diligence legislation and for participants to consider its relevance to wider regional cooperation on business and human rights.
Through interactive sessions, participants developed practical recommendations on strengthening the protection of migrant workers through human rights due diligence. The outcomes of the discussions will contribute to the development of an AICHR Note to support ASEAN Member States and relevant stakeholders in advancing the practical implementation of business and human rights across the region.
The discussions concluded with a shared recognition of the importance of strengthening collaboration between ASEAN’s human rights, labour, and economic sectors. The engagement of the Chair of the Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM) provided an important opportunity to reflect on the Workshop’s discussions from the perspective of ASEAN’s economic integration and to consider how responsible business conduct, human rights due diligence, and migrant worker protection can be more effectively incorporated into regional economic cooperation.
Participants underscored that sustained engagement among AICHR, SEOM, relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies, governments, businesses, workers’ organisations, civil society, and international partners will be essential to address risks across regional supply chains and ensure that ASEAN’s economic growth does not come at the expense of workers’ rights and human dignity.
The Workshop reaffirmed the importance of a human rights-based and multi-stakeholder approach to addressing forced labour and modern slavery and called for stronger regional cooperation to promote responsible business practices and ensure greater protection for migrant workers throughout ASEAN.
Source: https://aichr.org/news/asean-workshop-strengthens-business-and-human-rights-efforts-to-tackle-forced-labour-and-protect-migrant-workers/ and https://asean.org/asean-workshop-strengthens-business-and-human-rights-efforts-to-tackle-forced-labour-and-protect-migrant-workers/. Archived at https://perma.cc/7PDZ-J5LZ and https://perma.cc/PJ8Y-V2BM
