ASEAN - Association of South-East Asian Nations

08/26/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/26/2026 22:33

Joint Communique of the Twenty-Ninth ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (29th ALMM)

  1. The 29th ASEAN Labour Ministers' Meeting (ALMM) was held on 26 August 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Meeting was chaired by H.E. Julapun Amornvivat, Minister of Labourof Thailand, and attended by the Labour Ministers/Heads of Delegations of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam who attended in person and Cambodia who attended virtually, the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, and their respective accompanying delegations.

  3. Guided by the theme "Advancing ASEAN Human Capital: Skills Certification towards Global Recognition", we exchanged views on strengthening ASEAN human capital amid rapid technological change, the green and digital transitions, demographic shifts, evolving labour markets, and intensifying labour mobility. We underscored the importance of strengthening credible, transparent and industry-responsive skills certification and recognition systems to enhance the employability, mobility and competitiveness of ASEAN workers. We encouraged greater cooperation towards improved comparability and recognition of skills and qualifications within ASEAN and beyond, while taking into account the different national systems and levels of development of ASEAN Member States. We reaffirmed our shared commitment to advance decent work, inclusive employment, workforce resilience and lifelong learning opportunities, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

  4. Download the full statement here

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