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The next phase of cooperation will help ASEAN countries respond to AI, new forms of employment, and demographic change, while maintaining support for occupational safety and health, skills development, and social dialogue.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) have renewed their partnership to help ASEAN countries respond to the changing world of work, with a sharper focus on emerging labour market shifts.
The agreement, titled ‘Partnership Agreement for a Collaborative Programme on Labour and Decent Work’, will run from June 2026 to June 2028. It builds on the previous two-year partnership signed in 2024, which supported regional cooperation on decent work, workplace safety, skills development and social dialogue.
The programme, which is built on at least 15 years of collaboration, aims to strengthen the capacity of ASEAN governments, employers’, and workers’ organisations to navigate emerging labour market developments and opportunities.
Under the renewed programme, the ILO and Singapore will continue working with ASEAN governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations to strengthen their capacity to address new labour market challenges and opportunities.
New areas of focus include the impact of artificial intelligence, the growth of platform and other non-standard forms of work, demographic transitions, and the participation of older workers. These will sit alongside ongoing areas of cooperation such as occupational safety and health, skills development and social dialogue.
Signing on behalf of Singapore, Stanley Loh, Permanent Secretary of MOM said that the renewed agreement reflects Singapore and the ILO's shared commitment to collectively address global labour issues such as the impact of new technologies, ageing populations and new forms of work to help unlock opportunities for governments, employers, and workers.
"We look forward to working with the ILO and our regional partners in ASEAN to advance our shared aspiration to promote decent work and more inclusive and resilient labour markets."
On behalf of the ILO, Kaori Nakamura-Osaka, ILO Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific added that as ASEAN labour markets undergo profound transformation, strong partnerships are vital to ensure that technological change, demographic shifts and new forms of employment create opportunities for all.
"This renewed agreement reflects our shared commitment to promoting decent work across the region.”
Lead image: ILO
(From L-R: Stanley Loh, Permanent Secretary of Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM); Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower; Gilbert F. Houngbo, ILO Director-General; and Kaori Nakamura-Osaka, ILO Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.)
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