SEANF Paper on Migrant Workers each of the five ASEAN member states that have not signed the COMMIT MOU 17 to publicly announce their willingness to sign and encourage other non signatories to agree. a. The SEANF commends the signatory nations of the COMMIT MOU for agreeing to a rights-based, victim-centric agreement to combat human trafficking. In particular, the SEANF observes that COMMIT signatories agreed that “trafficking is intensified by discriminatory attitudes, practices, and policies based on gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, and social grouping.” The signatories also affirmed the critical importance of the UN Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking (2002) which specify a clear human rights centric approach to human trafficking. G. Right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion 23. The ASEAN Charter sets out in Article 2.2.l that one of its core operating principles shall be “…respect for the different cultures, languages and religions of the peoples of ASEAN, while emphasising their common values in the spirit of unity in diversity.” The SEANF recommends that the drafters of the ASEAN Instrument should ensure migrants have the right to peacefully practise their social, cultural and religious beliefs, and that ASEAN member states should not impose restrictions that obstruct the non-violent practice of those beliefs. The SEANF also notes these rights are guaranteed by Article 18 of the ICCPR and Article 12(1) of the ICRMW which provides that migrant workers and member of their families have “the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.” 18 24. The SEANF recognizes the sensitivity of ensuring positive interaction between migrant workers and receiving communities, and believes that the governments and other stakeholders (such as NHRIs, NGOs, and other civil society groups) should work together to promote social integration and inclusion of migrant 17 ASEAN Member States that have not signed the COMMIT MOU are Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. 18 ICMRW article 12(1) continues “This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of their choice and freedom either individually or in community with others and in public or private to manifest their religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.” 21