Enhancing Industry Capacity to Implement Ethical Recruitment Models in Viet Nam and Nepal to Protect Migrant Workers in South Korean Businesses' Supply Chains

Korean Multinational Corporations (MNCs) have globalized supply chains, largely concentrated in Asia (notably in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Viet Nam), they employ both national and migrant workers including large numbers of workers from Viet Nam and Nepal. Due to an uneven governance landscape, these MNCs are increasing their engagement with governments to take measures to eliminate exploitative labour practices, including slavery-like conditions, from their supply chains.

Recognizing the links between unethical recruitment practices and decent work deficits for migrant workers, including modern slavery, the proposed regional project will contribute to the protection of the human rights and labour rights of migrant workers by supporting private sector actors in Viet Nam, Nepal and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to implement fair recruitment principles.

Concretely, the proposed project will help build the capacities of government and business stakeholders in Republic of Korea (ROK), Viet Nam and Nepal to translate private sector commitments into effective ethical recruitment schemes and multi-stakeholder action plans to reduce the risk of human trafficking and slavery. IOM’s International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS), and the Corporate Responsibility in Eliminating Slavery and Trafficking (CREST) initiative will provide relevant platforms on which to build communities of practice.