ASEAN Advocacy Training REPORT

ASEAN advocacy training – REPORT

ASEAN Advocacy Training REPORT-Final 2 May 2024

By Van Thi Thu Ha (AMRC) with inputs from Mabel (AMRC)

The ASEAN Advocacy Training was successfully organised by the AMRC in cooperation with HomeNet South East Asia (HNSEA)  as the host organiser in Bangkok Thailand during 3-4 April 2024. 

There were 63 participants (25 men, 38 women) including 57 physical participants (35 women) and 6 online participants (3 women) from 24 local organisations and networks in 9 Asian countries including  Cambodia, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, and 11 regional and international organisations and networks that participated in the first half day. On the 2nd day there were 32 participants (21 women, 11 men) from 9 local organisations and networks from 6 ASEAN countries including Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines, and 8 regional and international organisations and networks.

The ASEAN advocacy training was held in one and a half days, with the following objectives 1) To increase knowledge of participants on advocacy towards ASEAN via experience consolidation; 2) To develop objectives and collaboration advocacy strategies toward universal social protection in Asia; and 3) To discuss a  2 year joint action plan for ASEAN engagement.

ASEAN ENGAGEMENT EXPERIENCE SHARING

In the first session of the training facilitated by Mabel Au and Van Thu Ha , we had an experience sharing at regional and country levels.

In the regional level sharing sub-session, we had 5 speakers:

1. Prof Rene Ofreneo: Engaging ASEAN in Confusing Time-Challenges to CSOs POs and Trade Unions
2. Prof Ed Tadem: ASEAN and Southeast Asian Civil Society-Divergences and Conflicts
3. Suntaree H Saeng-ging,: Experiences of HNSEA Engaging with ASEAN
4. Shubert Ciencia: Oxfam and the ASEAN
5. Soe Min Than: Bridging APF and ASEAN

In the country level sharing, we had 2 speakers:

1. Soudany Phommavilay : ASEAN Engagement 2024-Oxfam in Laos
2. Raquel Castillo: ACSC-APF Philippines Process-Strategies and Challenges

In this session, Prof. Rene and then Prof. Ed explained the interaction between the civil society and ASEAN from a historical approach. Prof. Rene pointed out the importance of the “inside and outside” strategy and to keep shaping a Social ASEAN.  Then Prof. Ed showed us ASEAN is not a CSO friendly body and APF experience on ASEAN engagement were mostly frustrated. He updated us on the most recent initiative, the Movement for Alternatives and Solidarity in Southeast Asia (MASSA) was formed as an alternative strategy with a new vision for ASEAN engagement.

Suntaree’s experience showed that identifying the relevant body in ASEAN with solid research can facilitate a meaningful engagement. Shubert also shared the importance of power structure analysis of ASEAN. This echoes Suntaree’s suggestion on identifying the strategic body but Shubert further explains that engaging with strategic governmental agencies in member states is also very significant. Finally, Soe Min Than shared the experience of the thematic engagement of migrant worker issues. After ASEAN set up the TFAMW, AFML was initiated afterward. The AFML is a multi-stakeholder model, COS can provide suggestions in the blueprint of Political-Security, Economy and Socio-Cultural  Community respectively.

In the case of national experience, Soudany demonstrated how Oxfam Laos seized the opportunity of Laos being the Chair of ASEAN to advocate policy on CARE.   Raquel showed us the Philippines civil society has been actively participating in all activities of ASEAN engagement at national and regional level.

After that, we had a panel discussion with Soudany Phommavilay, Visal Tan, Raquel Castillo, Anwar Sastro Maruf, and Renate Arisugawa as panellists.

Several takeaways include:

• Although it is very difficult, however,  we are encouraged by the successes that CS have made to influence ASEAN via different forms of engagement including side event, co-organizing with govt,  policy dialogues, discussion, exposure visit etc.
• We should continue to strengthen transformative social protection from the grassroots, for  example, advocacy  to gain access to social assistance (example of INISIATIF and KPRI)
• We should strengthen research to support data-driven advocacy/  evidence-based policy influencing (research, policy dialogue, policy recommendations), which bring knowledge to people and information to policy makers.
• To do advocacy, we need to strengthen local, national and regional networks to work on a common advocacy issue.
• Especially to influence ASEAN, we need to:
  • Identify ASEAN policy priorities, focus on new interests and new topics for the country and ASEAN, and select what we can do.
  • Explore strategies for approaching ASEAN State members, for example Oxfam Laos uses gender as entry points to engage in care work and link Care Economy and social protection, to protect and reduce burdens on care for members of women and girls;
  • build trust relationships with ASEAN secretariat, National governments and mass organisations
  • involve different stakeholders including ASEAN related organisations and member states,govt agencies, NGOs, private companies, university and think tanks, donors, UN agencies and Embassies, media,
  • involve different people groups including working men and women, youth, LGBTIQ+, journalists, community leaders/senior citizens, etc.
• Dealing with discrimination (for example discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people), it needs to build networks and alliances with Human Rights and pro-democracy CSOs, also collaboration with international LGBTIQ+ organisations, especially where the direct engagement with the government is very limited, both in national and local level, use other channel such as UPR or CEDAW mechanisms to raise voice via the shadow report where the review process in AICHR is lacking and strengthen the solidarity amongst CSOs across ASEAN countries (example of F2BM).

ASEAN ADVOCACY PLANNING

The second session led by Shubert Ciencia, started with a brief presentation by Aura Sevilla on AROSP Strategic Plan, which had been discussed and agreed in the AROSP2024 Biennial Meeting  and an overview of Power in the ASEAN analysed by Shubert.

One of the outcomes in the AROSP strategic plan is that AROSP effectively  engages with UN and intergovernmental bodies and national authorities. To achieve the outcome, possible activities include: i) Registration/ Accreditation at UN bodies and regional intergovernmental bodies such as ASEAN; ii) Organize a regional forum on Social Protection for Workers in the Informal Economy; iii) Dialogue with Social Security and Labour Ministries at country level and ASEAN SLOM/SOMSWD/ASSA; iv) Participation and representation at related UN and intergovernmental events (e.g APFSD, Committee on Social Development).

After that, Shubert facilitated the participants to break down into 2 country group discussions to define the priorities, objectives and strategy for ASEAN 2024-2025 engagement and country-specific workplans that will inform the ASEAN engagement strategy. Although we have not come up with a full developed plan, we were able to agree on some following important points.

Advocacy planning

some long term goal on Policy Framework on Informal Workers in ASEAN

ASEAN advocacy plan (2024-2025, specific advocacy issues for 2024:

1. Care Economy (Unpaid care work, maternity protection)
2. social protection
3. OSH (For formal workers extend to informal workers)
4. maternity protection

2024 Outcomes:

• Ensure the inclusion of AROSP position on care economy is considered in the draft “ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Care Economy and Resilience Towards ASEAN Community Post-2025”
• AROSP input in the review of SP roadmap/framework/ ASEAN high level SP conference (SOMSWD) 2024 
• Sufficient maternity protection, health facilities, allowance for pregnancy, post delivery for 3 months period, childcare and access for the informal workers

Group discussions details:

Cambodia-Laos-Philippines group: several advocacy issues were identified taking into account the policy window, however, only the advocacy plan on care is more specific with date

Priority Areas:

• CARE:

2025 ASEAN Outcome/s:

Activities Leading to the 2024 Outcome/s:

• OHS

2024 ASEAN Outcome/s: OSH

Activities Leading to the 2024 Outcome/s:

• Activity 1: Online Forum on OSH for IE workers
• Activity 2: Drafting Policy Brief on OSH
• Activity 3: Engagement at Focal at Country Level
• Activity 4: Engagement with Drafting Committee of the ASEAN Guidelines on OSH of Informal Economy Workers

• SP

priorities in 2024 2024 ASEAN Outcome/s:AROSP input in the review of SP roadmap/framework/ ASEAN high level SP conference (SOMSWD) 2024

Activities Leading to the 2024 Outcome/s:

• Activity 1: Country-level workshop on SP Roadmap/Framework
• Activity 2: Regional Consultation on SP Roadmap
• Activity 3: Draft Policy Brief
• Activity 4: Engagement with Focal Country Level
• Activity 5: Gather Intel on these 2 events

Indonesia-Thailand group:

OVERALL GOAL: Policy Framework on Informal Workers in ASEAN

OBJECTIVE: Sufficient maternity protection, health facilities, allowance for pregrancy, post delivery for 3 months period, childcare and access for the informal workers

ENTRY POINT

• Relate the issue with SDGs and poverty eradication
• At least advocacy in the country level
  • Indonesia and Thai:  who is responsible for SP for informal workers? Minister of Labor or the Ministry of Social?
• Regional level:
  • Collaboration of the CSO in the regional level
  • Collaboration with APPMG SDGs and ASEC in the APF 2025 to promote SDGs

HOW TO ENGAGE

• Conduct the policy analysis gap, find champion
• Each CSO in the country conduct policy advocacy with the related ministry
• Each CSO in the country conduct awareness raising to the beneficiaries on the access to SP
• Regional level: engage gender division in the ASEAN: understanding their priorities and build the synergy
• Conduct Return on Investment
• Develop campaign strategy
• Advocacy material

POLICY WINDOWS AND OPPORTUNITIES:

CARE:

Pre-zero draft – Re-zero draft-Declaration on Strengthening the Care Economy and Resilience Towards ASEAN community Post (for discussion) 4 April 2024

Roadmap of ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit on Strengthening Care Economy and Resilience Towards ASEAN Community Post-2025 ( Ms Soukphaphone PHANIT AWC Laos):

THE CONSULTATION MEETING ON THE ASEAN DECLARATION ON STRENGTHENING CARE ECONOMY AND RESILIENCE TOWARDS ASEAN COMMUNITY POST-2025 AND THE ROADMAP FOR ITS ADOPTION (10 April)

2 validation workshops in May in Laos: 1st Validation Workshop on the ASEAN Declaration on Care Economy and Resilience Towards ASEAN community Post-2025 and its Guidance Document (9 May 2024); 2nd Validation Workshop on the ASEAN Declaration and 1st Guidance Document of the ASEAN Declaration on Care Economy and Resilience Towards ASEAN Community Post-2025 and its Guidance Document (20 June 2024) BECAUSE THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE DECLARATION will be 1st or 2 weeks of June), in between or earlier will be country validation workshops.

Side events of the women leaders’ summit: 21 August 1. ASEAN Forum on Valuing the Investing in Unpaid Care and Domestic Work;  2. The Care Economy and the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women,Peace and Security

3rd ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit: Strengthening Care Economy and Resilience Towards SEAN Community Post-2025 23rd August 2024, Vientiane,

SOCIAL PROTECTION:

the ASEAN Vietnam will organise a “Review of the Regional Plan of Action on Social Protection” and “ASEAN High Level Social Protection Conference” in 2024 but not fix the date yet. Oxfam is invited to attend

OHS

Policy window: one of the ASEAN Laos priorities in 2024 is Regional social dialogue on responsiveness of labour policies in the new normal (including work from home arrangement, OSH) – but not fix the date yet.

INFORMAL WORKERS RIGHTS

Oxfam will convene a dialogue with relevant ministries on promoting the rights of informal workers in the ASEAN (TBC).

(more details in the link below)

Link to all documents shared in the meeting:

3rd April PM-ASEAN Engagement Experience Sharing

4th April-ASEAN advocacy training

Meeting recording:

ASEAN Engagement Experience Sharing:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DcL8v2jOiIkVTzFaHt-fjRjvlmmZykdU?usp=sharing

It’s ready for everyone to download .