The OECD organised the Southeast Asia Ministerial Forum (SEARP) Tokyo Ministerial Conference, which consisted of the OECD Southeast Asia Ministerial Forum on Thursday, 8 March 2018 and the Steering Group Meeting of the OECD SEARP on Friday, 9 March 2018.

The ITUC-AP General Secretary, Shoya Yoshida, spoke in the session “Inclusive ASEAN: Inclusiveness through participation” of the Forum. “We do have an effective mechanism of participation: social dialogue and industrial relations. Trade unions are a crucial institution of fair income distribution through collective bargaining” said Shoya Yoshida. He continued, “However, many governments still make excessive interference in trade union registration, and restrict legitimate activities or even existence of trade unions under national laws”.