Background

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Issara Institute is an independent NGO operating on the ground in Asia - in global supply chains - working with workers, communities, civil society, business, and government to build worker-validated, community-validated ethical supply chains from the bottom up. Issara believes that, together, we can change the lives of millions of workers and communities in global supply chains through worker voice, partnership, and innovation.

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Managing 15,000 - 20,000 calls and messages with workers per month and in partnership with global brands and retailers in the Americas, Europe, Australia, and Japan, we have achieved remarkable outcomes together through a model called the Inclusive Labor Monitoring (ILM) Action Network (ILM-AN). Together we have remediated over 145,000 cases of worker-reported labor abuses in the past 3 years and are working in partnership with businesses to ensure not just remediation but also continuous improvement and more ethical systems over time.

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Human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) require ongoing, meaningful engagement with workers and communities, and the focus of this session is to deconstruct how the partnership between civil society organizations (CSOs) and businesses, coupled with worker voice and innovation in both worker origin and destination countries, creates an HREDD approach that can help identify and remediate adverse impacts, prevent future harm, and track and communicate results and improvement over time.

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As part of the UNRBHR 2024, Issara Institute and ILM Action Network partners welcome you to join our session “Transforming Labor Conditions through Worker Voice, Partnership, and Innovation” in order to delve into this transformative and impactful model, with a panel of participants representing many of the key actors in the Inclusive Labor Monitoring Action Network.

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Objectives

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• To demonstrate how the Inclusive Labor Monitoring (ILM) system and Network identify and address labor risks and violations, support workers in accessing remedies in a safeguarded way, and drive systemic improvements within businesses and in the global supply chains.

• To discuss case studies and business metrics of businesses achieving ethical recruitment down to the first mile, and continuous improvement in worker engagement and grievance mechanisms, through collaboration with the ILM Action Network.

• To inspire businesses to connect directly with the voices of workers and communities in their supply chains via partnership with civil society organizations, as a means for strengthening HREDD action and achieving more sustainable supply chains.

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Key Questions

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• About worker voice systems: How is ongoing, meaningful engagement with workers and worker voice built spanning worker origin and destination countries? Who is involved, what do they do, and what is the value proposition and/or motivation to each party to collaborate?

• About partnership: What are the main challenges of implementing data-driven approaches to human rights due diligence (HRDD), and how can partnerships between brands and retailers, civil society organizations (CSOs), recruitment agencies, and suppliers help address these challenges? How can this data and multi-stakeholder collaboration contribute to achieving more inclusive, equitable, and rights-respecting business practices globally?

• About innovation: What innovative methods and technologies can be used to identify and address labor risks and violations, facilitate safer access to remedies for workers, and drive systemic improvements in businesses and global supply chains? Why are some ‘tech4good’ initiatives so successful while others receive very little uptake?

• About impact: What are the metrics that the ILM system collecting and reporting that reflect transformative impact on labor conditions? On labor recruitment and business systems? More generally, what are some of the most meaningful metrics reflecting ethical corporate behavior?