On 26 November 2025, global experts, UN institutions, employer and worker representatives gathered at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva to explore how migrant workers can be placed at the centre of responsible business conduct and human rights due diligence through the session “Labour Migration, Business and Human Rights in Times of Transition”, organized by the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, the ILO and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Labour migration is a defining factor of today’s global economy and remains central to shaping the future of work. Migrant workers are vital to many sectors, contributing skills and innovation particularly in those facing acute labour shortages. Government action, combined with initiatives by employer and workers’ organizations are critical to ensuring that labour migration is safe, fair, and mutually beneficial.  

Framed around the key findings emerging from the UN Working Group’s report to the UN General Assembly on labour migration and business and human rights, the discussion focused on: 

• Making human rights due diligence migrant-responsive: addressing risks across the entire migration journey, from recruitment to return, and tackling systemic abuses and their root causes
• Guaranteeing access to remedy that works for migrants: overcoming legal, logistical, and trust barriers so that migrant workers can safely raise grievances and obtain redress, even across borders.
• Building rights-based labour migration systems: aligning migration governance with international labour standards, fair recruitment principles, and social dialogue, including through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.