Weaving an Alternative South East Asia

Regional Strategy Meeting on Emerging Social and Cultural Concerns in ASEAN:

Climate Change, South East Asian Peoples’ Right to Information, Labor Migration
and Domestic Work and Platforms for Civil Society Engagement with the ASEAN

A. Overview

Across South East Asia, millions of people live on less that US$ 2.00 per day. The World
Bank even reported that 37% of South East Asian peoples live in direst poverty which
means surviving on less than a dollar a day. Meanwhile, citizens of Singapore and
Malaysia are enjoying the perks of living in highly developed and thriving economies. In
Thailand and Vietnam, tourists and investors are driving the engine of growth by pouring
billions of dollars into their economies. Other countries such as the Philippines,
Cambodia, Lao, and Myanmar are waiting for their luck to change while trying their very
best to lure in investments.

Amidst this backdrop of social disparity in the region are the creeping and continuing
assaults on the human rights and freedoms of the peoples and the systematic
degradation of the South East Asian commons and the environment. Given this, civil
society and peoples movements in the region--on various civil, political, economic, social
and cultural issues--do advocate for their rights, propose alternative policies, and exact
accountabilities from their own governments. However, civil society organizations need
to complement these advocacies at the regional level especially now that the ASEAN is
discussing ways of implementing the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council (ASCC)
Blueprint.

The goal of the ASCC is to establish a community of cohesive, equitable and

harmonious societies, bound together in solidarity for deeper understanding and
cooperation. According to ASEAN, ASCC reflects its social agenda that is focused on
poverty eradication and human development. In its fourth meeting in Danang in Vietnam
this August, ASCC listed as its priorities the following issues: challenges of pandemic
diseases, climate change and disaster management, developing human resources for
economic recovery, creating social welfare for women and children, and building cultural
identity.

While the civil society groups in the region recognize the value of this blueprint they
realize that due to ASEAN policy of non-interference and decision by consensus its
implementation might encounter very serious speed bumps along the way. They
demand more from the ASCC and the ASEAN. They call on the regional body to go
beyond the blueprint and look at the existing realities on the ground and respond to the
emerging and pressing issues by putting the people at the center of its decision-making
process. For the Southeast Asian civil society, a people-centered ASEAN is the only way
to achieve its vision of a sharing and caring community of ASEAN peoples.
The Emerging Socio-Cultural Concerns in Southeast Asia

This Regional Strategy Meeting seeks to mainstream existing work and discussions on
the following emerging issues such as the peoples’ right to information, climate change,
and labor migration and domestic work. Through this regional activity, the South East
Asian Committee for Advocacy (SEACA) aims to provide a space to strategize a more
focused engagement with the ASEAN, specifically on three issues previously mentioned
that are covered by the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. This will also be an
opportunity for regional and national civil society organizations in South East Asia to
examine the various platforms for civil society engagement with the ASEAN and discuss
the ASEAN Civil Society Council, a platform that is being proposed by the ASEAN
Secretariat.

On Peoples’ Right to Information

ASEAN has been in existence for 43 years and it has yet to enjoy wide recognition and
support from its own people. Many believe that the main obstacle in understanding
ASEAN is the dearth of information on its activities and operations. This meeting will
discuss the access to information issues with respect to international organizations and
learn from existing good practices that can be replicated in the ASEAN. It will also tackle
the level of Southeast Asian peoples’ access to information with respect to their
government and the state of public advocacy for the peoples’ right to know in the
ASEAN countries.

On Climate Change
Recently, the ASEAN member-countries have agreed to push forward their interests and
priorities in any future deals, negotiations, and response strategies on climate change.
The ASEAN Climate Change Initiative (ACCI) is one of its latest initiatives on the issue.
It aims to provide the platform for members to consult each other on the effects of
climate change and strengthen regional coordination and cooperation. The workshop on
climate change will address issues related to the following:
 The particular vulnerability of the region to the dangers of climate change;
 The potential influence of ACCI in the ASEAN position and role in the
international climate change negotiations;
 The impact of ACCI to national climate change policies;
 The consultative processes that are available, if any, or necessary under the
ACCI framework; and,
 Policy and process recommendations of civil society organisations for
ASEAN/AWGCC

On Labor Migration and Domestic Work

The ILO’s Labor and social trends in ASEAN 2010 reports that the demand for high-level
professionals and skilled workers will outpace the region’s requirements for lower skilled
labor. The report, however, is limited to the ASEAN region and does not touch on the
increasing demand from outside the region where the strength of an integrated ASEAN
community could and should exert more influence towards ensuring that the rights and
welfare of migrant workers from the region are protected and promoted. This workshop
will focus on domestic workers as a significant sector of intra- and inter- regional
migration. It will explore how the current process of drafting a Framework Instrument is
going, and how this can contribute to or in fact be impacted by the proposed ILO
Convention on Domestic Work.
B. Objectives

Specifically, the aims of the Strategy Meeting are as follows:

1) To support emerging civil society advocacies in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural
Community
2) To discuss key issues on access to information in ASEAN and its member
countries, and to brainstorm on the possibility of a protocol on freedom of
information for ASEAN;
3) To bring together representatives of civil society and ASEAN/ASEAN Working
Group on Climate Change and undertake effective collaboration for policy
interaction under the ASEAN Climate Change Initiative (ACCI) framework; and
contribute to national, regional, and global efforts of addressing climate change;
4) To present the picture of domestic workers within and outside the region and
strategize how ASEAN countries can work towards ratifying the ILO Convention
on Domestic Work
5) To discuss different ways of engaging with the ASEAN including the proposed
ASEAN Civil Society Council

C. Outcomes

SEACA expects that after the meeting the participants would have:
1) Increased awareness and knowledge on the emerging socio-cultural issues
2) Drawn up initial action plans and strategies in responding to the emerging socio-
cultural issues.

D. Activity Design

This is a two-day activity tentatively scheduled on September 19-20, 2010 in Kuala

Lumpur, Malaysia. This is after Forum Asia’s 3rd Regional Consultation Meeting on
ASEAN and Human Rights on September 17-18 also in the same city.

The thematic workshops:

a) Building Community through Information and Access
b) The ASEAN Climate Change Initiative: Addressing the Vulnerability of the Region
and Making ASEAN a Strong Voice in the International Climate Change
Negotiations
c) Labor Migration and Domestic Work in ASEAN
d) Platforms on Civil Society Engagement with the ASEAN, such as the ASEAN
Civil Society Council

Each thematic workshop will have an anchoring organization which will be responsible in
formulating the final design of its own workshop. The anchoring organization is also in
charge of getting its own moderator, presenter/s and reactor/s and in inviting participants
to its workshop.

On the second day, there will be discussions on ASEAN Civil Society Conference and
updates on various civil society engagements with the ASEAN.
E. Anchors for the Thematic Workshops

While South East Asian Committee for Advocacy (SEACA) is the overall organizer of the
two-day activity, various organizations will be requested to manage the four thematic
workshops. The possible anchors are the following:

1) Right to Information : Focus on the Global South / I-FOI /

EU–ASEAN FTA Campaign
Network / SEAPA (TBC)
2) Climate Change : Greenpeace Southeast Asia
3) Labor Migration and Domestic Work in ASEAN : Migrant Forum in Asia
4) ASEAN Civil Society Council : SEACA

F. Proposed Programme

Tentative Venue: Royale Bintang Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Day 1 September 19, 2010

8:00 am to 8:15 am Registration

8:15 am to 8:30 am Welcome Remarks

Ms. Corinna Lopa, Regional Coordinator
South East Asian Committee for Advocacy

Building Community Through Information and Access

Anchors: Focus on the Global South, Institute for Freedom of Information (I-FOI)
and the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (to be confirmed)

8:30 am to 10:00 am Main Presentations

1) The State of Freedom of Information in ASEAN
Countries (SEAPA) (TBC)
2) Access to Information in International
Organizations (I-FOI)
3) Building a Case for an ASEAN Protocol on
Freedom of Information (Focus)

10:00 am to 10:15 am Tea or Coffee Break

10:15 am to 11:15 am Case Studies

1) Comparative Information Access in Trade
Negotiations (EU-ASEAN FTA Campaign Network)
2) The ASEAN Information Policy (ASEAN
Communications Office) (TBC)
11:15 am to 12:00 pm Open Forum

12:00 pm to 12:30 pm Strategy Session on the ASEAN Regional Protocol

on Freedom of Information

12:30 pm to 1:30 pm Lunch

The ASEAN Climate Change Initiative: Addressing the Vulnerability of the Region
and Making ASEAN a Strong Voice in the International Climate Change
Negotiations
Anchor: Greenpeace Southeast Asia

1:30 pm to 2:15 pm Climate Change and its Impact in Southeast Asia

Presenter: c/o Greenpeace SEA

2:15 pm to 3:00 pm ASEAN Regional Policy on Environment

Presenter: c/o Greenpeace SEA

3:00 pm to 3:30 pm Highlights of the Manila RTD on ASEAN Climate

Change Initiative
Presenter: Ms. Weng Bolinas, Aksyon Klima
Pilipinas

3:30 pm to 3:45 pm Tea or Coffee Break

3:45 pm to 4:45 pm Feedback / Open Forum

4:45 pm to 6:00 pm Strategy Session: Recommendations to

AWGCC/ASEAN for the international climate
change negotiations and for regional adaptation and
other key issues

Day 2 September 20, 2010

LABOR MIGRATION AND DOMESTIC WORKERS IN ASEAN:
The Challenge of Regional Consolidation towards International Standards
Anchor: Migrant Forum in Asia

9:00 am to 10:00 am Update on the Status of the ASEAN Framework

Instrument for the Protection of Migrant Workers

10:00 am to 11:00 am Domestic Workers: A Situationer

11:0 am to 12:00 pm ILO Convention on Domestic Work: Decent Work for

Domestic Workers
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Workshop 1: Recommendations to APF and ACSC

2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Strategy Session on how ASEAN countries can

work towards ratifying the ILO Convention on
Domestic Work

3:00 pm to 3:15 pm Coffee / Tea Break

Regional Consultation and Discussion on Civil Society Engagement with the
ASEAN and the proposed ASEAN Civil Society Council
Moderator: Corinna Lopa, SEACA

3:15 pm to 3:35 pm The Proposed ASEAN Civil Society Council

View from ASEAN Secretariat (TBC)

3:35 pm to 3:55 pm The UN Model and Forum-Asia’s experience in

engaging the UN
Presenter: Yap Swee Seng, Forum Asia

3:55 pm to 4:15 pm Asia Pacific Forum on Law, Women and

Development’s (APLWD) experience in engaging
UNIFEM
Presenter: APWLD (TBC)

4:15 pm to 5:00 pm Open Forum

5:00 pm to 5:30 pm Synthesis and Closing

Mr. William Gois, Chairperson of the SEACA
Executive Committee

G. EXPECTED PARTICIPANTS

Focus on the Global South partners

1. Focus on the Global South
2. Institute for Freedom of Information (I-FOI)
3. EU – ASEAN FTA Campaign Network

Migrant Forum in Asia members and partners

4. Migrant Forum in Asia (Wlliam Gois, Tatcee Macabuag)
5. Center for Migrant Advocacy (Ellene Sana)
6. Migrant Care (2 representatives)
 7. Center for Indonesian Migrant Workers
8. Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia
9. HOME Singapore
10. Transient Workers Count Singapore
11. Legal Support for Women and Children (LSCW)
12. Task Force on ASEAN and Migrant Workers

Greenpeace Southeast Asia members and partners

13. Greenpeace Southeast Asia
14. Aksyon Klima
15. Members of the ASEAN Working Group on Climate Change
16. Representatives from the Environmental Division of the ASEAN Secretariat

Other organizations from Malaysia

17. DHRRA Network Malaysia
18. Southeast Asian Council for Food Security and Fair Trade
19. SUARAM
20. Pusat Komas
21. DEMA – Malaysia Youth and Students Democratic Network
22. YPSEA members in Malaysia
23. Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Center for Women (ARROW), Sai Jodie
24. Monitoring Sustainability in Globalisation, Charles Santiago
25. UNI-APRO ASETUC Malaysia, Mohamad Shafie
26. Third World Network, Chee Yoke Ling,
27. International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW), Wathshlah
Naidu
28. Coordination of Action Research on AIDS and Mobility (CARAM Asia)
29. Empower
30. ERA Consumer
31. Friends of the Earth Malaysia
32. Kooperasi Malaysia, Sharine Koo
33. Malaysia Kini, Premesh Chandran
34. Malaysian Aids Council
35. Malaysian Bar Council, Andrew Khoo,
36. GAMIS (partner of DEMA)
37. Centre for Independent Journalism

Other Regional Organizations

38. Forum Asia
39. Burma Partnership
40. Initiatives for International Dialogue
41. Asia Pacific Forum on Law, Women and Development
42. SAPA Task Force on Human Rights and ASEAN
43. Building and Woodworkers International (BWI)
44. Southeast Asian Press Alliance

Secretariat
45. SEACA Corinna Lopa
46. SEACA Jose Maria Dimaandal