New york city: The Philippines and India have reached an agreement to enhance collaboration on migrant labor governance by establishing a joint technical working group (TWG). This decision follows a bilateral meeting between Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and India's State Minister for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in New York City.

According to Philippines News Agency, the meeting underscored opportunities for improved cooperation on labor migration governance, with a focus on social protection, wage standards, financial education, reintegration, and welfare fund administration for migrant workers. Conducted on the sidelines of the International Migration Review Forum at the United Nations Headquarters, the meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to advance policies that protect migrant workers and strengthen global labor migration governance.

The forum is designed to review progress at various levels in implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) within the United Nations framework. It employs a state-led approach that includes relevant stakeholders and aims to outline the direction for GCM implementation over the next five years.

As leading global labor-sending countries, the Philippines and India provide millions of workers to sectors such as healthcare, construction, domestic work, and services, primarily in the Middle East, North America, and Europe. Cacdac emphasized the significance of exchanging knowledge with India, particularly in digital migration systems. He expressed a keen interest in learning from India's experience in digital migration governance while sharing the Philippines' best practices based on a rights-based approach to migration.

To facilitate further discussions, both countries have agreed to establish the joint TWG to identify priority areas for cooperation and potentially lay the groundwork for a formal labor agreement.