The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched a new project on Fair Recruitment in the Philippines on August 3 in Metro Manila.
The 2-year project aims to establish fair recruitment corridors to prevent exploitation of migrant workers, to provide migrant workers with access to reliable information and services, and to share global and national knowledge about recruitment and engagement with the media.
“People should be moving out of choice, and not out of necessity. Ensuring fair recruitment is crucial to level the playing field and to protect migrant workers from abuses,” said Khalid Hassan, the new Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines.
The Fair Recruitment project is part of a global initiative with pilot interventions in other countries, Nepal, Jordan and Tunisia, and is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) .
Globally, there are 232 million international migrants and 740 million internal migrants who are mostly in search of decent work and better livelihood.
The global initiative will contribute to fostering fair recruitment practices, preventing human trafficking and reducing the costs of labour migration.
The overall strategy of the initiative is based on four pillars: strengthening global knowledge on national and international recruitment practices; reinforcing laws, policies and enforcement mechanisms to enhance fair recruitment practices; promoting fair business practices; and empowering and protecting workers.
Secretary Silvestre Bello of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) set the keynote for the project launch. Representatives from employers’ and workers’ organizations, recruitment agencies, non-government organizations, media and other key partners also joined.
Coinciding with the launch was the first country visit to the Philippines of Ms Tomoko Nishimoto, ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific and welcome to Khalid Hassan as the new Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines.
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Image credit: ilo.org
