On April 7, 2022, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Labour and  Professional Development (MITRADEL) held the forum "Brokerage agencies: regulations, responsibilities and good practices" with the objective that private placement agencies know the relevant regulations of intermediation, tertiarization of services and good practices that entail decent and ethical work for the elimination of trafficking in persons, addressing the rights of migrant workers in Panama. 

Private placement agencies play an important role in the functioning of different types of jobs, recruitment legislation is constantly adapted to respond quickly to the changing needs of the labour market. In recent years, it has been characterized by an increase in the presence of private placement agencies. 

Since 2019, IOM has been working within the framework of the Western Hemisphere Program, which is funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the United States Department of State, in order to contribute to the efforts of governments in the effective management of labour migration, the protection of migrant workers,  the prevention of and protection against abusive migration practices, the promotion of orderly migration processes, and a vision of migration based on integration, inclusion and development. 

"Governments, in their regulatory capacity, must decide the legal situation and define the conditions under which private employment agencies must operate in any national context. They must guarantee solid mechanisms for the effective empowerment of private placement agencies to be able to help them play a constructive role and thus contribute to the establishment of a labour market free of conditions of exploitation and trafficking in persons,"  said Santiago Paz, Head of the Panama Administrative Centre and IOM Chief of Mission in Panama. 

On behalf of the Employment Directorate, the presentation on the legal regulations of the work of intermediation and management of human resources was presented by Emanuel Gómez, and María José Ordoñez explained the use of the Placement Agency. 

Alexis Diose, from the Inspection Directorate, explained the importance of contract registrations and the formalization of labour relations.  

The presentation on the Prevention of Labour Exploitation and Trafficking in Persons and good practices of Ethical Recruitment was given by Marisol Linero, from IOM in Panama. 

Based on the International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS), IOM has been coordinating joint actions with MITRADEL's Employment Directorate to help strengthen multi-stakeholder actions to promote ethical recruitment and protection of migrant workers.  

"Working to achieve sustainable human development, in relation to their human and labour rights, must be part of our day to day. We have to get to a point where we will not be able to talk about employment, if it is not decent, or about recruitment, if it is not ethical, because one thing is linked to the other. Recruitment for employment has to take place within the formalities that the law requires, not only to fulfill the mandate, but because compliance with labour standards constitutes and will always be a mechanism for the protection of social peace and good labour relations," said Winston Sánchez, Secretary General of MITRADEL. 

IRIS is an IOM multi-stakeholder initiative created to respond to the growing demand from the private sector and governments for ethical recruitment services. 

For more information, contact IOM Panama's communications team via iompanama@iom.int