OREANDA-NEWS. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Migration Policy Institute are hosting a forum in Bali, Indonesia from 28 to 29 September, 2015 to launch a joint initiative which aims to help reduce barriers to the free flow of skilled labor amongst countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The forum, which brings together high-level policy and business leaders, will explore the nature and extent of movement of professionals within ASEAN, the progress and challenges countries face in recognizing professional qualifications, and the potential areas for reform at national and regional levels over the near and longer term. 

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is due to be in place by end 2015, but slow progress on removing real and perceived barriers to movements by professionals in the region as part of the agreement on labor mobility, will prevent the full benefits of the AEC from being realized in a global economy that is increasingly competitive and skills-driven.

The joint initiative will carry out studies to better understand the barriers to freer movement of professionals within ASEAN and seek to develop strategies to gradually overcome them. 

The forum is open to the public, and members of the media are invited to attend. 

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members—48 from the region. In 2014, ADB assistance totaled \\$22.9 billion, including cofinancing of \\$9.2 billion.

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank dedicated to analysis of the movement of people worldwide. MPI, which has offices in Washington, Brussels and New York, provides analysis, development and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at the local, national and international levels. For more on MPI, visit www.migrationpolicy.org.