Building Responsible Value Chains in Asia through the Promotion of Decent Work in Business Operations

Background and Rationale

This programme is implemented in the context of an increasing demand on companies to respect human rights and labour rights in their operations, and to promote respect for such rights in their supply chains, including by conducting due diligence.

Based on the experience of the ILO/Better Work programme [1] in creating a path for sustainable compliance and of the ILO Multinational Enterprises and Enterprise Engagement Unit (MULTI) in supporting constituents in using the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) as a framework for action, this programme aims at putting in place supportive measures to accompany enterprises efforts’ to promote compliance with national law and respect for the principles of international standards.  

The project adopts a “collaborative supply chain approach”, promoting and supporting collaboration among significant stakeholders at the different levels of supply chains. Workers (and their representative organizations) and managers at the enterprise level will be supported to enhance social dialogue and industrial relations, which in turn will contribute to improved working conditions and overall enterprise performance and productivity.

Project outcomes

1. Based on the business case for good industrial relations, enterprises will improve compliance with national laws and respect the principles of international labour standards and have strong social dialogue structures and processes

•    Enterprises tackle the root-causes of non-compliance with national labour laws through social dialogue and improved management systems
•    Remediation mechanisms are strengthened in enterprises
•    Actionable, reliable and timely enterprise compliance data is used by enterprises to promote decent work outcomes
•    Awareness is raised on responsible business practices and good practices are disseminated including among Japanese buyers in the garment, electronics and automotive sectors

2: Stronger tripartite institutions and tripartite collaboration at the national and international level will create an enabling environment for more productive and sustainable enterprises that implement responsible business practices

•    Government officials in labour and trade ministries have enhanced their capacity to promote a culture of compliance, transparency and social dialogue
•    Enhanced capacity of workers’ and employers’ organizations in the target sectors for stronger social dialogue including with the counterpart organization in Japan
•    Enhanced capacity of worker’s and employer’s organisations to address productivity gains that enable enterprises to sustain responsible business practices
•    Dialogue platforms are strengthened among social partners and international stakeholders, including Japanese buyers and public institutions in the programme countries

3: Governments increase their evidence base in developing policy measures and home-host policy level collaborations that promote responsible business and labour practices throughout Global Suply Chains

•    Business case/ good practice are compiled into studies on stronger collaboration and social dialogue across enterprises in supply chains
•    Awareness is raised on responsible value chains stakeholders and general public in both home and host countries

Reference:
[1] BetterWork– a collaboration between the United Nation’s International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group – is a comprehensive programme bringing together all levels of the garment industry to improve working conditions and respect of labour rights for workers, and boost the competitiveness of apparel businesses.

Partner countries and targeted industries:
•    Bangladesh (The garment industry)
•    Cambodia (The garment industry)
•    Japan (The garment, electronics, and automotive industries)
•    Vietnam（The garment and electronics industries）

Budget: USD 6.8 million

Key Partners:
Government/public institutions (Ministries of Labour, Ministries of trade, trade promotion bodies), workers and employers organizations in the partner countries, Japan External Trade Oranization (JETRO), Institute of Developing Economies Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO)   

Targeted SDGs  

For further information please contact:

Ms. Yuki Kobayashi
Programme Coordinator
kobayashi@ilo.org