[Event Report] Public Symposium “Co-creating Sustainable and Inclusive Migration Governance: Lessons from Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration in Southeast and East Asia”

The public symposium was co-hosted by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) and Indonesia-based Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) on 6 August 2026. Following opening remarks, Daniel Awigra explained the background and objectives, followed by a panel discussion on progress in migration governance and business and human rights. Centered on cross-regional cooperation between East and Southeast Asia, the sessions explored how to improve institutions while protecting human rights.

In Session 1, Professor Shuto Motoko (首藤もと子) and others comparatively analyzed ASEAN norm-setting and receiving systems in East Asia. The discussion identified the achievements of the AFML collaborative platform and its lack of legally binding force, as well as challenges including dependence on private recruitment agencies and limited career opportunities, underscoring the importance of the role played by CSOs. Session 2, led by Hayashi Mariko (林茉里子), examined the migration, business and human rights agenda and practices of cross-regional cooperation, highlighting support for workers in the fisheries sector and the importance of allyship.

Other presentations introduced a range of initiatives, including protecting migrant workers’ rights through the use of forced labor indicators, presented by Lennon Inda Wang of Taiwan SPA; strengthening international cooperation through collaboration between Japanese and Taiwanese CSOs; and promoting policy dialogue using participatory action research (PAR). Iwashina Masako (岩品雅子), a researcher at SPF, reported on the results of efforts to build a model of a cohesive society in the new era of human mobility and the impact of institutionalization, and shared initiatives to produce multilingual guidebooks and expand life-orientation programs.