The International Trade Union Confederation–Asia Pacific (ITUC-AP), the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), and Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA have successfully concluded the 3rd Regional Conference on Asbestos, uniting trade union leaders, civil society organisations, workers, and occupational safety and health experts from across the Asia-Pacific region.

The conference served as a critical platform to reinvigorate the regional campaign for a total ban on all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, and to strengthen strategies for a just transition for affected workers and communities.

Over 35 participants from across the region joined the discussions, engaging in substantive exchanges on national advocacy challenges, court battles with industry, and lessons from countries where asbestos remains entrenched despite its well-documented health risks.

In a session with the International Labour Organization (ILO), participants examined how to leverage the ILO’s recognition of Occupational Safety and Health as a fundamental right to accelerate national asbestos bans and advance the ratification of key OSH conventions. A dialogue with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also reviewed its newly adopted safeguard policy, which prohibits all forms of asbestos in ADB-funded infrastructure projects, along with its implementation roadmap.

A special session with the Malaysian Industrial Hygiene Association (MIHA) provided a crucial exchange on the role of industrial hygienists in protecting workers, including migrant workers, from hazardous exposures. With Malaysia’s commitment to phase down and eventually ban asbestos, participants urged the government to rapidly build national capacity for the safe handling, removal, and disposal of legacy asbestos.

The conference concluded with a unanimous call for all Asia-Pacific governments to:

* Ban the mining, import, and use of all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile;
* Hold multinational corporations and financing institutions accountable for asbestos use throughout their supply chains; and
* Adopt industrial policies that enable the Just Transition to asbestos-free alternatives, ensuring that workers’ livelihoods are protected throughout this change.