Main area: Migration
Theme: Labour mobility
Assessment: Partially ODA-eligible
Provider country: United States
Recipient country: Global (Kuwait, Oman, Kenya, Uganda, Panama, Mexico, Nicaragua)
Implementing agency: IOM
Budget (USD million): over 3
Year(s): 2019-21
Purpose code: N/A
Case number: Migration / 19
Promoting ethical recruitment in the hotel and tourism industry: building capacity and enhancing commitment
In support of safe, orderly, and humane migration, this project seeks to carry out ethical recruitment programming in the hospitality and tourism industry. The project is based on a collaboration between IOM and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA), which brings together the world’s leading hotel companies to drive responsible business in the industry. It builds on IOM’s work to establish IRIS: Ethical Recruitment and SHA’s commitment to combating migrant exploitation, in its Principles on Forced Labour.
IOM and SHA engage a three-pillar strategy focused on: 1) private sector and employer engagement; 2) private-public dialogue; and 3) migrant-centred and civil society action.
Specific outputs under the three pillars include:
Implementation of a comprehensive and multi-faceted communications strategy and expanded campaigning and advocacy with hotel brands and their stakeholders.
Implementation of bilateral meetings or workshops at national and local levels using a “whole of government” approach including the ministries, agencies, and authorities.
Pilot workshops to train professionals on ethical recruitment information and orientation resources, targeting pre-departure, post-arrival, employment, cultural and pre-return orientation to create a seamless and holistic “safe migration experience” for migrant workers and enhance migrant protection.
To date, IOM and SHA have jointly developed trainings, guidance, and tools which have been piloted for hotel and tourism companies on ethical recruitment. Multiple global brands have communicated their commitment and drive to collaborate with this initiative as a continuing process and six global brands have participated in a working group on ethical recruitment to enhance collaborative action across the industry. This commitment has been confirmed through agreements with IOM and through direct participation in activities. Agreements have been signed with three global brands, and IOM has conducted trainings with seven brands, with notable success in training 314 industry leaders. IOM has additionally held trainings for government, supported government-to-government collaboration and have held consultations with governments in select corridors. IOM has additionally developed tools and resources for civil society which have supported broad engagement with civil society organisations in target countries. Stakeholders have noted the relevance and applicability of this project to national, regional, and global frameworks particularly in anticipation of the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has asymmetrically affected the hospitality and tourism industry and labour migration worldwide.
This activity is deemed partially ODA-eligible. The project works to promote ethical recruitment which, in turn, contributes to safe, orderly, responsible, and regular migration and reinforces efforts to achieve productive employment and decent work for all (including contributing to sustainable development in the countries of origin); eradication of forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking; and protection of labour rights. In line with Criterion 7, activities that focus on giving access to decent labour opportunities and protecting the rights of migrants in ODA-eligible countries are ODA-eligible; activities fostering labour mobility from ODA-eligible to non-ODA eligible countries (Kuwait, Oman) could also be eligible if they had a focus on skills transfers to the developing country of origin.
This work was approved and declassified by the Development Assistance Committee’s Working Party on Development Finance Statistics.
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