The Global Forum for
RESPONSIBLE
RECRUITMENT
KUALA LUMPUR & ONLINE
30 JUNE - 1 JULY 2026
ABOUT
Join the leading forum for accelerating fair, ethical, and responsible recruitment of migrant workers.
The Global Forum for Responsible Recruitment (GFRR) is a two-day event that brings together businesses, civil society, trade unions, government, and academia to discuss the global agenda on responsible recruitment.
The theme of this year's Forum is: Migrant Worker Resilience in an Era of Global Disruption
Global supply chains and labour markets are being reshaped by a convergence of crises and transitions.
Geopolitical shifts, economic uncertainty and conflicts are reshaping trade routes and production hubs. Simultaneously, decarbonisation efforts, the growing impacts of climate change on operations, and demographic shifts are transforming sectors, disrupting livelihoods, and driving more people to cross borders in search of work and stability. Technology is further reshaping recruitment systems: while data-driven tools can increase transparency and accountability, the rapid deployment of AI risks reinforcing bias, discrimination and silencing worker voice without proper safeguards. Together, these forces are reshaping migration pathways and creating new pressure points for migrant workers voice without proper safeguards.
In this fragmented landscape, labour migration governance is under strain. Regulatory gaps and uneven enforcement enable informal and opaque recruitment channels to expand. While many companies and recruiters have committed to the Employer Pays Principle, implementation remains inconsistent across regions and sectors, risking new forms of worker vulnerability.
GFRR 2026 will explore how responsible recruitment can adapt to this era of disruption, ensuring that labour market transformation strengthens, rather than undermines, migration with dignity.
REGISTRATION
WHY ATTEND
AGENDA
The two days of the Global Forum 2025 focused on how different data driven solutions from a variety of stakeholders can be brought together and leveraged to drive systemic change in recruitment practice.
DAY 1
20.05.25
DAY 2
21.05.25
DAY 1
20.05.25
09:00 – 9:20 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Mr. Somchai Morakotsriwan will set the stage for two days of discussions on the importance of responsible recruitment.
Mr. Somchai Morakotsriwan, Director – General of the Department of Employment, Government of Thailand
9:20 – 10:10 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
The Need for Better Data and How it Can be Used More Effectively
The Opening panel explores the current use of data on responsible recruitment and discusses what might be possible through better data-gathering, data-sharing, and the use of technology.
Moderator: Dan Viederman, Working Capital Fund
Panelists:
– Catherine Parsons, Walk Free
– Mahendra Pandey, Humanity United
– Pam Wood, HPE
– David Sangokoya, World Economic Forum
10:10 – 11:00 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
How data can be better used in practice
This session will explore the next steps in developing the Global Data Partnership Against Forced Labour and the points of intervention on responsible recruitment. Experts will discuss how data-driven collaboration among governments, businesses, and civil society can provide stronger evidence to combat forced labour.
Moderator: John Morrison, IHRB
Panelists:
– Phil Bennet, Technologist and Strategic Advisor
– Lisa Rende Taylor, Issara Institute
– Kirk Bresniker, HPE
11:30 – 12:15 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Social Dialogue and Worker Engagement
Effective worker engagement is key to achieving responsible recruitment. This session will highlight best practices in social dialogue, emphasising how businesses, trade unions, and worker representatives can collaborate to create ethical and sustainable recruitment practices.
Moderator: Aarti Kapoor, Embode
Panelists:
– Suthasinee Kaewleklai, Labour Rights Foundation
– Aim Oo, Worker Committee Representative Seafood Sector
– Shylaja Devi Vasudevan Nair, SD Guthrie
12:15 – 13:00 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Supplier Engagement for Responsible Recruitment
This discussion will look into how companies can work more effectively with their suppliers to uphold responsible recruitment standards and drive systemic change.
Moderator: Ms. Supavadee (Pink) Chotikajan, Mars Petcare
Panelists:
– Carola Galeppini, Unilever
– Leena Meneely, TAT WIN
– Aarti Kapoor, Embode
Lunch: 13:00 – 14:00 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
14:00 – 15:00 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Building a Federated Database for Analysis and Intervention
This session will focus on the challenges and opportunities of shared databases that can consolidate information from various stakeholders, improving transparency, risk assessment, and interventions for pushing the responsible recruitment agenda.
Moderator: Phil Bennett, Technologist and Strategic Advisor
Panelists:
– Wenjuan Yao, Verité
– Hannah Thinyane, Diginex
– Briar Hulme, Impactt
15:00 – 15:30 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Seafarers and Responsible Recruitment
This discussion will explore the latest efforts to promote responsible recruitment in the shipping industry and will look into the complexities that seafarers face through their migration journey.
Panelists:
– Ben Bailey, The Mission to Seafarers.
– Ingrid Sisteré Ibars, Inter IKEA.
16:00 – 17:00 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Lessons Learned from Eight Years of on-the-ground Programming on Responsible Recruitment
Over the past 10 years there has been a marked increase in companies that believe that no workers should pay for a job, thus supporting The Employer Pays Principle. How has this translated to real change for job seekers on the ground in Asia – and how has it not? How has the space evolved through COVID, and what are lessons learned and recommendations for the future? The on-the-ground practitioners in this session will will present key lessons learned from Issara Institute’s work in responsible recruitment since 2017, including perspectives from a progressive Myanmar recruitment agency. The session will highlight pragmatic solutions such as the Golden Dreams smartphone app and the Responsible Recruitment Revolving Fund and Technical Assistance Facility – including their ups and downs – and demonstrate the forms of non-traditional high tech and low tech collaborations that have enabled worker-validated zero fees recruitment, down to the first mile.
Moderator: Ana Maria Soto, Issara Institute
Panelists:
– Mark Taylor, Issara Institute
– Ms. Thi Thi Thein, Linn Shwe Yone Minn Co., Ltd
DAY 2
21.05.25
09:00 – 9:15 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
The Global Migrant Workers Network and Reflections on GFRR Day One
Panelists:
– Mahendra Pandey, Humanity United
– Ann Abunda, Sandigan Kuwait Domestic Workers Association (SKDWA)
9:15 – 9:30 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
The Responsible Recruitment Register
The Responsible Recruitment Register lists the publicly available policies of companies or business associations that have partly or fully assimilated the Employer Pays Principle: No worker should pay for a job—the costs of recruitment should be borne by the employer, not by the worker. The register, is intended to be a tool for transparency. During this session, IHRB and IOM will describe how are they working together to deliver the Recruitment Agencies’ Register.
Neill Wilkins, IHRB
9:30 – 10:30 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Myanmar Migrant Workers in Thailand: Ethical Recruitment in Times of Crisis
This session aims to shed light on the heightened vulnerabilities faced by Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand since the military takeover in 2021. Building on this, the session will also look into the broader implications of these vulnerabilities on global supply chains, as well as discuss collective actions businesses need to take to strengthen efforts in upholding the rights of migrant workers amidst the evolving risk environment in labour migration due to crisis.
Moderator: Maximilian Pottler, IOM
Panelists:
– Thi Thi Thein, IHRB
– Sammie Ho Dumas, Thai Union
– Mr. Sakson Rouypirom, Sati Foundation
11:00 – 12:00 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Protecting Rights in Times of Global Uncertainty
In an era marked by political polarization, rising authoritarianism, and the erosion of trust in democratic institutions, the global consensus on human rights is under increasing pressure. Persistent wealth and income inequality, weakened labour protections, and the impacts of climate change are fuelling instability and testing long-standing commitments to the rule of law, responsible governance, and international cooperation.
This session will explore what these overlapping global crises mean for the advancement of human rights and the promotion of responsible business conduct. Against the backdrop of shifting political leadership—most notably in the United States—and the retreat from multilateralism, we will examine the risks to international frameworks that safeguard human rights, worker protections, and corporate accountability.
We will also reflect on current debates in the European Union around the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and what is at stake when calls for global competitiveness challenge the integrity of corporate due diligence and transparency standards.
Moderator: Dan Viederman, Working Capital Fund
Panelists:
-Panyarak Roque, Dignity in Work for All
– Rachel Elliot, Woolworths Group
– Elaine Mitchel- Hill, Grace Farms International
12:00 – 12:30 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Women Migrant Workers and Recruitment – A Guide for Recruitment Agencies
Migration is not a gender-neutral phenomenon.
IHRB will reflect on its series of work – Respecting the Human Rights of Women Migrant Workers, and will introduce the latest addition to the series: Recruitment of Women Migrant Workers -A Practical Guide for Recruitment Agencies.
Moderator: Dr. Harpreet Kaur, UNDP
Panelists:
– Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna, Our Journey
– R.S. Puri, Titanic Manpower
Lunch: 12:30 – 13:30 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
13:30 – 14:30 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Towards the Elimination of Worker Paid Recruitment Fees and Related Costs
A report back from the the ILO Conference on the Fair Recruitment Initiative – The way forward: from policy to practice, Maria Gallotti, Chief Technical Advisor, ILO.
The importance of fair and ethical recruitment has been underlined in global frameworks such as the Global Compact On Migration and the Sustainable Devevlopment Goals.. National laws have been revised in some countries eliminating worker paid recruitment fees. In other countries recruitment costs are being monitored as part of national surveys. Compliance mechanisms have been established, and support services have been provided by CSO’s and trade unions. Businessses too, have established codes of practice on responsible recruitment. However malpractice continues and much more remains to be done. Worker paid recruitment costs are often high and may range from 7-14 months of wages in some Asian migration corridors. Workers are tied to employers by work permits and there are often excessive restictions on changing employers. This session will focus on international labour standards, the progress and the remaining challenges on eliminating worker paid recruitment fees and related costs.
The session will also include a report back from the ILO Conference on the Fair Recruitment Initiative – The way forward: from policy to practice.
Forum Liaison: Maria Gallotti, ILO
Moderator: Marja Paavilainen, ILO
Panelists:
– Ms. Nan Zar Ni Myint, Network of Domestic Workers in Thailand
– Mrs. Attapan Masrugson, Thai Tuna Industry Association
14:30 – 15:00 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Limits on Remedy for Migrant Workers
This session will examine the challenges migrant workers face in accessing remedies for recruitment. Experts will also discuss the barriers that remedy processes may pose for responsible business practices and explore potential solutions to improve workers’ access to justice.
Moderator: Amelia Smith, Mekong Club
Panelists:
– Lara Bianchi, Nottingham University
– Charles Niece, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers
15:30 – 16:30 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Measuring the Effectiveness of Worker-Centric Training on Responsible Recruitment
This session will present findings from worker-centric training initiatives and the process of measuring their impact for improving recruitment practices and worker protections.
Moderator: Carmen Pedraza, IHRB
Panelists:
– Leanne Melnyk, Quizrr.
– Henriette McCool, Vinci.
– Leanne Melnyk, Quizrr.
– Henriette McCool, Vinci.
16:30 – 17:00 | Bangkok (GMT+7)
Closing Remarks
The Forum concludes with reflections on key takeaways, commitments from stakeholders, and the next steps for advancing responsible recruitment through technology and data-driven solutions.
– Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna, Director, Our Journey
– Bhim Shrestha, Shramik Sanjal
– Neill Wilkins, IHRB
– Bhim Shrestha, Shramik Sanjal
– Neill Wilkins, IHRB
To view the sessions for Day 2, click on the second tab at the top of the agenda.
SPEAKERS
GFRR 2025 speakers included:
Phil
Bennett
Technologist and Strategic Advisor
Maximilian Pottler
Head of Labour Migration and Human Development, IOM, Thailand.
Attapan Masrungson
Executive Advisor of Thai tuna indusrty Association
Supavadee (Pink) Chotikajan
CONTRIBUTING PARTNERS
Discover the organisations that collaborated to produce the Forum’s sessions.
No worker should pay for a job — the costs of recruitment should be borne not by the worker but by the employer.
FORUM REPLAYS
Hosted by IHRB, the ILO, and IOM, the 2021 Global Forum for Responsible Recruitment took place from 12-15 April 2021. The GFRR 2021 spanned four days, convening 16 discussions. To capture some key takeaways from each session, we invited colleagues from across the ecosystem to record and share their reflections on the discussion.
Hosted exclusively online by IHRB, the 2022 Global Forum for Responsible Recruitment took place from 1 – 3 November. The GFRR 2022 presented eight live sessions plus 16 recordings viewed by more than 1,600 participants. Access all sessions and materials now available on IHRB’s YouTube channel.
Hosted in person and online by IHRB in partnership with AIM-Progress, the 2023 Global Forum for Responsible Recruitment took place from 13 to 14 June in New York City. The GFRR 2023 live-streamed 15 sessions that were viewed more than 4,000 times by participants around the world. Access all sessions and materials now available on IHRB’s YouTube channel.
Hosted in person and online by IHRB in partnership with AIM-Progress and Stronger Together, the 2024 Global Forum for Responsible Recruitment took place from 25 to 26 June in London, UK. The GFRR 2024 live-streamed 17 sessions that were viewed by participants around the world. Access all sessions and materials now available on IHRB’s YouTube channel.
Hosted in person and online by IHRB, the 2025 Global Forum for Responsible Recruitment took place from 20 to 21 May in Bangkok, Thailand. The GFRR 2025 live-streamed 16
sessions that were viewed by more than 1000 participants around the world. Access all sessions and materials now available on IHRB’s YouTube channel.
HOST
GFRR is hosted by the Institute for Human Rights and Business.
About IHRB
The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is the global think tank working to make respect for human rights part of everyday business. IHRB’s work seeks to ensure that migrant workers everywhere are treated with dignity and respect. IHRB aims to elevate the concerns of migrant workers and highlight their vital contribution to the global economy and strengthen worker voice within economic decision-making.
IHRB developed the Dhaka Principles for Migration with Dignity to provide a clear framework for understanding and addressing the challenges faced by workers throughout the migration cycle. In 2015, we launched the Employer Pays Principle, a campaign with a simple message: No worker should pay for a job – the cost of recruitment should be borne by the employer. IHRB has leveraged change across different sectors and geographies, from the built environment, to shipping, to Gulf Cooperation Council Countries via its Gulf Sustain initiative.
The 2026 Global Forum for Responsible Recruitment is hosted and produced by the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB).
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