The ILO launches the 2021-25 Fair Recruitment Initiative, which aims to ensure that recruitment practices nationally and across borders are grounded in labour standards, are developed through social dialogue, and ensure gender equality.

The Fair Recruitment Initiative (FRI) was launched in 2014 as part of the ILO Director General’s call for a Fair Migration Agenda. Since its launch, the FRI has been critical to the ILO’s work in the area of national and international recruitment of workers and has added renewed impetus and visibility to this important topic. The FRI has combined global policy dialogue, knowledge and data generation with on-the-ground interventions where tools are tested, implemented, and expertise created. The Fair Recruitment Initiative contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8 and 10.7 and in particular to the elimination of recruitment costs in line with SDG Indicator 10.7.1. Continued from Phase I, the second phase of the Fair Recruitment Initiative is grounded in relevant international labour standards (ILS), global guidance on fair recruitment, and social dialogue between governance institutions and actors of the labour market. The general goals remain constant, ensuring that recruitment practices: 

• are transparent, and effectively regulated, monitored and enforced;
• protect all workers’ rights, including fundamental principles and rights at work, and prevent human trafficking and forced labour;
• efficiently inform and respond to employment policies and labour market needs.

“Phase two of the ILO Fair Recruitment Initiative is a timely call for action. Labour migration and recruitment practices need to adapt to the COVID-19 context and ensure the rights of migrant workers are respected, while taking into account the legitimate concerns of host communities, employers and recruiters." Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General

Fair Recruitment Initiative’s centrepiece is the General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment (GPOG) , adopted in 2016, complemented by the Definition of Recruitment Fees and Related Costs , adopted in 2018 to be read jointly. Both documents were negotiated by a tripartite group of experts and adopted by the ILO’s Governing Body. They constitute the most up-to-date, internationally agreed guidance in the area of recruitment. The four-pronged approach of the FRI, which puts tripartism and social dialogue at the centre, is implemented in close collaboration with governments, representative employers’ and workers’ organizations, the private sector and other key partners:

• Pillar 1: Enhancing, exchanging and disseminating global knowledge on national and international recruitment processes.
• Pillar 2: Improving laws, policies and enforcement to promote fair recruitment.
• Pillar 3: Promoting fair business practices.
• Pillar 4: Empowering and protecting workers.