Fair Recruitment Initiative Strategy 2026-2030: The way forward, from policy to practice

The Fair Recruitment Initiative (FRI) was launched by the ILO in 2014 to ensure fair recruitment of workers at the national and international level, bringing renewed visibility to this important issue. Over the years, the FRI has become a central pillar of the ILO’s Fair Migration Agenda and has strengthened collaboration among governments, employers, and workers to ensure transparent recruitment practices that protect workers' rights and uphold international labour standards through social dialogue and fair treatment. 

The Fair Recruitment Initiative Strategy 2026–2030 sets a clear path forward: moving from principles and guidance to practical implementation and enforcement, to make fair recruitment a reality for all workers, across all sectors and countries, within and across borders. The new strategy was conceived as an inclusive process, reflecting evidence and data collected across countries, key migration corridors and high-risk sectors to ensure targeted interventions that tackle emerging challenges. 

This work builds on a decade of experiences, achievements, and lessons learned. This new strategy has also benefited from the rich exchanges and inputs generated during the Global Conference “Fair Recruitment Initiative: The way forward, from policy to practice”, held in May. This conference, that brought together government officials, employers' and workers' representatives, recruitment agencies, international organizations, and researchers provided valuable guidance for moving from policy commitments to practical implementation. This tripartite high-level discussion served as a platform to review progress, explore practical solutions, and strengthen collaboration with stakeholders. The event marked the launch of this new strategy, reaffirming a common commitment to advancing fair recruitment through collective action. 

Content available in English, español and français.

Guide to private employment agencies - second (revised) edition

Private employment agencies are increasingly shaping the world of work - connecting job seekers to opportunities, helping employers meet skills needs, and supporting more dynamic labour markets. Yet with this growing influence comes responsibility: promoting fair recruitment, protecting workers’ rights, and maintaining trust in labour market systems.

Why This Guide Matters
This revised Guide provides governments, employers, workers, and practitioners with a comprehensive framework for fair, transparent, and effective employment services. It highlights the vital role PrEAs play in improving labour market functionality while focusing on two key pillars: labour market alignment and fair recruitment practices.

Responding to Today’s Labour Market
Rapid changes - from digitalization and demographic shifts to migration and the green transition - demand flexible, robust regulatory systems. This Guide shows how PrEAs can adapt by strengthening oversight, leveraging digital tools, and aligning with international labour standards.

Partnership is Key
Drawing on ILO Conventions No. 181 and No. 88, the Guide emphasizes collaboration between public and private employment services. Strategic partnerships improve job matching, strengthen active labour market policies, and expand access to opportunities for those in vulnerable situations. Practical examples, from common terminology and shared digital platforms to joint monitoring systems, show how cooperation enhances efficiency and fairness.

Fair Recruitment: A Shared Responsibility
Fair and transparent recruitment is essential for all workers, especially for migrant workers. Embedding these principles across employment services strengthens trust and advances decent work globally.

A Call to Action
This Guide is more than a reference - it’s an invitation to act. Governments can create responsive frameworks, employers and PrEAs can uphold high professional standards, and workers’ organizations can ensure voices are heard. Together, we can make labour markets more inclusive, transparent, and fair.

This content is avalailbe in English and Español.

Policy brief: Fair recruitment of Lao migrant workers: A comparative review with international labour standards and guidelines

This policy brief offers a comparative analysis of the labour migration governance framework in relation to international standards and guidelines and provides recommendations to help ensure fair recruitment and decent work for Lao migrant workers.

The ILO Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia programme has been working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Labour Social Welfare to strengthen policy and legislation related to the recruitment of Lao migrant workers since 2020. To support this effort, a comparative analysis of the labour migration governance framework was undertaken in relation to key international labour standards and guidelines, including the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181) and the ILO General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment. 

Although the Lao policy and legal framework was found to be in alignment with international labour standards and guidelines in many respects, the analysis identified significant legislative and implementation gaps. These include incomplete prohibitions on worker-paid recruitment fees and related costs, challenges in enforcing penalties and providing remedies for abuses, procedural and capacity challenges in dispute resolution, and lack of clarity and in the responsibilities of government agencies.

The policy brief recommends that the Lao Government consider ratifying the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181) to take the next steps forward in improving protection of the rights of Lao migrant workers during recruitment and placement. The ILO stands ready to provide any further technical support required by the Lao Government and social partners to facilitate the process of ratification for Convention No. 181 in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Promising practices for fair recruitment in Côte d'Ivoire: Development of an international placement service by the Youth Employment Agency

Côte d’Ivoire's Youth Employment Agency (Agence nationale pour l’insertion et l’emploi des jeunes), with ILO support, has developed an international placement service to promote fair recruitment and labour migration.

This initiative comes in response to the significant informal recruitment sector in Côte d’Ivoire, despite existing regulatory frameworks. Historically a labour immigration destination, the country has seen a rise in emigration in recent years, with a substantial portion of the youth workforce (63 per cent aged 14-35) seeking decent work opportunities abroad, often leading to irregular migration.

The Agence Emploi Jeunes, under the Ministry of Youth, focuses on job placement, regulation of private employment agencies, and supporting job creation and skills development. Following a systemic organizational assessment in April 2023, the need for a dedicated international placement service was identified. This led to a strategic workshop in November 2023, where operational guidelines and a roadmap for implementation were established.

In May 2024, Ivorian representatives learned from Morocco's successful international placement practices, which were then adapted and finalized for local implementation. By February 2025, staff training and the launch of nine pilot sites were completed, resulting in 25 successful international placements. This initiative highlights the importance of local ownership, international collaboration, and strong political commitment in advancing fair recruitment practices.

Content available in English and French.

Promising practices for fair recruitment in Hong Kong (China): Promoting fair recruitment of domestic workers: Behavioural insights to encourage employer due diligence

This promising practice presents the findings from a behavioural research study conducted as part of the ILO’s FAIR III project, which aims to promote fair recruitment.

In Hong Kong, despite the 2017 Code of Practice for Employment Agencies, unfair and illegal recruitment practices persist. Employers play a critical role in shaping recruitment outcomes, yet many remain unaware of their responsibilities or the risks involved. This research explored how behavioral science (the study of how individuals make decisions and respond to various influences) can be applied to encourage employer due diligence and support fair recruitment.

Through qualitative interviews, a randomized-controlled trial and the development of an innovative online game, the study tested different message framings to influence employer behaviour. The findings provide practical recommendations to strengthen policies, interventions, and outreach strategies so as to better protect migrant domestic workers and promote fair recruitment practices in Hong Kong.

Labor Migration in Asia: Fair recruitment, training, and development

This ADBI-OECD-ILO joint publication captures new and emerging trends in labour migration in Asia, with a focus on recruitment, training and development.

This report is based on the discussions at the 14th ADBI-OECD-ILO Roundtable on Labor Migration in Asia: Maximizing the Impact of Labor Migration on Development, held on 28-29 May 2024 in Tokyo, Japan. The annual roundtable brings together labour experts and policymakers from across Asia to discuss trends in labour migration and emerging policy and issues on migrant workers. 

Chapter 1 reviews labour migration trends through the end of 2024, highlighting shifts by origin, destination, and student mobility. Chapter 2 examines recent trends and challenges in migrant worker recruitment in the region. Chapter 3 explores emerging models of pre-departure skills training for labour migrants in Asia and the Pacific. Finally, Chapter 4 highlights remittances as a key source of external finance that supports development and poverty reduction, while also noting risks such as brain drain, trade imbalances, and economic overreliance on remittances. Statistical annexes provide updated economy-specific notes and comparative tables on country-level migration flows.

Thematic Note: Ensuring fair recruitment for migrant care workers

This Note explores some of the key fair recruitment challenges for migrant care workers and outlines key policy priorities.