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. 

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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.