HCMC, 24 August 2016

On 24 August 2016 the International Organization for Migration joined with Teijin Frontier, Japanese Trade Exporters Association, Energetic Green and ILO to promote ethical recruitment practices for migrant labourers within the garment supply chain.

Strongly attended by a range of companies within the garment industry operating in Viet Nam and Japan, the seminar discussed the ongoing introduction of regional trade agreements (TPP and FTA) together with international developments aimed at combatting forced labour in global supply chains including the new Modern Slavery Act in the UK and California Transparency in Supply Chains Act in the US, both of which require companies selling products into these markets to take a more pro-active approach to ensure that their supply chains are free from forced labour.

Mr. David Knight, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Vietnam, outlined the damage that can be done to a company caught-up in allegations of trafficking and forced labour and the steps that companies could take to combat forced labour. He commented, “We are seeing a real uptick in our collaboration with the private sector in the region as companies look to tighten their supply chain management to both promote ethical recruitment and combat trafficking. It is a very welcome development and the companies that lead in this area will hopefully be rewarded through aware consumers recognizing the value of goods produced through ethical and sustainable business practices”.

For further information on IOM’s work in ethical recruitment and counter trafficking in Vietnam please contact Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Thu at tnthutran@iom.int.