21/03/2017 - Over half of the world’s 21 million victims of forced labour are found in the Asia-Pacific region. In Thailand, recent reports on labour exploitation in the Thai fishing and agriculture sectors have heightened public attention on the issues of forced labour and human trafficking. This has prompted multinational companies to re-examine their global supply chains and put in place measures to prevent abuse.

In an effort to further promote the ethical recruitment of migrants and social accountability in Thailand, IOM and the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) of the Foreign Trade Association (FTA) have partnered together to jointly organize a two-day workshop for BSCI members starting today (21/3).

The training targets over 50 human resource and sourcing managers from Thai suppliers to major European importers and supermarket chains.

Aimed at sensitizing participants to the risks migrants may encounter during the recruitment process and employment, the workshop also encourages companies to implement responsible business practices and develop mitigation strategies.

As part of the training, IOM will share best practices in the areas of ethical recruitment and counter-trafficking including minimum standards for employment contracts, safe migration campaign and handling suspected cases of human trafficking.

BSCI will train participants on risk identification, due diligence and remediation procedures, and also highlight obligations suppliers must meet as part of its code of conduct.

“Consumers have become increasingly discerning in the products they buy. Companies that look after the wellbeing of migrant workers will ultimately benefit from decreased business risk, greater productivity and increased customer trust,” said IOM Thailand Chief of Mission, Dana Graber Ladek.   

The workshop is the first of a series of trainings conducted by IOM in partnership with BSCI for Thai producers focused on responsible recruitment, labour supply chain management and social compliance.

“This collaboration is proving very effective to bring to Thai producers the knowledge and hands-on experience they require to meet legal obligations and increase transparency in the recruitment of migrant workers,” said Anna Stancher, BSCI Social Programmes Manager.

The trainings are designed with the private sector in mind with materials adopted from IOM’s Corporate Responsibility in Eliminating Slavery and Trafficking (CREST) initiative.

IOM considers partnerships with the private sector a priority as part of its wider strategy to combat trafficking in persons and promote migrant rights.  

For further information please contact Petra Neumann at IOM Thailand, Email: pneumann@iom.int, Tel: +66 2 343 9333, or Reuben Lim, Email: rlim@iom.int, Tel: +66 2 343 9370