SEANF Paper on Migrant Workers 97. The SEANF urges the Government to establish and actively implement effective safeguard mechanisms for monitoring efforts to promote and protect the human rights of migrant workers at all stages of the migration process. These mechanisms should collaborate closely with Philippine and international civil society organizations working with migrants, and operate on the basis of transparency and openness. The SEANF emphasizes that the Government must also provide the necessary personnel and budgetary resources for effective operation of these mechanisms. 98. The SEANF recommends that the Government proactively support overseas workers who assert their democratic rights to assemble, associate, and defend their rights, and engage with labour receiving governments to ensure these rights are protected. 99. The SEANF finds the lack of effective coordination between government agencies contributes significantly to problems facing migrant workers from the Philippines. The SEANF urges that the bureaucracy must be trimmed down and coordination and accountability of the government agencies must be established and institutionalized. One-stop service centers should be established on the understanding that they will not simply be an additional layer of the burgeoning bureaucracy. The SEANF recommends that any one stop center must ease the burdens of migrant workers by curbing corruption, lowering recruitment fees, and ensuring better service and relevant coordinated assistance. 100. The SEANF believes the important role of Philippine embassies in protecting migrant workers rights in receiving countries cannot be overemphasized. They serve as the front-liners in the protection of the rights of migrant workers. For this reason, the SEANF recommends an expansion of the numbers and the level of support provided to Embassy officers handling migrant protection duties. These officers should receive extensive training in human rights, legal assistance, case management, and knowledge of the laws, regulations and procedures affecting migrant workers in both the Philippines and the receiving country (especially those countries categorized as “highly problematic” by the relevant agencies of the Government). To ensure effective implementation, 43