September 15, 2025, at 08.30 hours – Mr. Samat Pattamasukon, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour, presided over the opening of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Regional Policy Dialogue on “Resilient Supply Chains and Inclusive Growth in a Changing World of Work”. He was joined by Kaori Nakamura-Osaka, Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the International Labour Organization, and Michaela Friberg-Storey, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Thailand, at the Pullman King Power Hotel in Bangkok.
Mr. Samat Pattamasukon, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour, stated that this meeting provides an important platform for exchanging ideas and experiences in promoting decent work throughout supply chains across the Asia–Pacific region, which plays a vital role in the global economy. Thailand’s key industries, including electronics, automotive, agriculture, and food, are all deeply integrated into global supply chains, generating employment for millions of workers
Mr. Samat further noted that over the past three years, the Ministry of Labour has taken concrete steps to raise labour standards in line with international benchmarks. These include ratifying ILO Convention No. 144 on Tripartite Consultation and Convention No. 155 on Occupational Health and Safety, improving labour inspection systems, and developing workforce skills to support emerging industries such as electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors. Additionally, Thailand has expanded social protection coverage to better encompass informal workers and migrant workers. The country is also advancing draft legislation on human rights and environmental due diligence to promote responsible business conduct and strengthen labour rights throughout supply chains. The government has set a target to create at least 600,000 decent jobs and upskill over 5 million workers by 2027.
Mr. Samat added that Thailand fully supports ASEAN initiatives, including the ASEAN Year of Skills 2025, and actively participates in international projects on skills development, labour migration, and SME upgrading. This aligns with the vision of the ASEAN–Japan Economic Partnership and the Singapore Declaration, endorsed at the ILO Asia–Pacific Regional Meeting, which all highlight the importance of social dialogue, just transitions, and labour rights as the foundation of resilient supply chains.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour emphasized that all parties must collaborate to ensure that supply chains in Asia and the Pacific are not only conduits for trade but also engines of inclusive growth and decent work for all.
This regional policy dialogue, organized by the ILO, brings together 200 representatives from 20 countries, including government officials, employers, workers, international organizations, businesses, and academia. The two-day event, held from September 15 to 16, 2025, serves as a platform for knowledge sharing and discussion on fostering sustainable and socially responsible supply chains.
