The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Labour and Professional Development of the Republic of Panama (MITRADEL for its Spanish acronym) held a mixed session with virtual and on-site participants on June 24, 2021, for MITRADEL labour inspectors on Ethical Recruitment to Guarantee the Labour Rights of Workers, with an emphasis on migrant workers.  

The objective of this activity was to train MITRADEL technical staff on human rights, and to present how Ethical Recruitment can prevent human trafficking, forced labour and how the commitment of all those involved will enable good governance of migration and the economic development of countries. Labour inspectors from Panama City participated in the activity in person.  

This type of activity is intended to contribute to the strengthening of actions among multiple stakeholders to promote ethical recruitment and protection of migrant workers. For its development, the organizers worked based on the global initiative of the International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS). IRIS is a global social compliance programme designed by IOM in conjunction with partners from the government, private and civil society sectors, to promote ethical international recruitment. 

Michela Macchiavello, IOM's regional thematic specialist in labour migration and human development, made a presentation on the Montreal Recommendations on Recruitment. This document has 55 clear, practical, and specific recommendations within 8 key policy areas and serves as a road map to the next steps to promote ethical recruitment. It also seeks to establish what is "best" in all regulations and is aligned with the General Principles of the International Labour Organization. 

The Montreal Recommendations include providing a means for migrant workers to participate in a safe and meaningful manner at all stages of the inspection and law enforcement process, including -whenever necessary- the extension of migrants' residence and work permits so that they can participate in relevant judicial proceedings against the alleged perpetrators. 

For their part, Sarah McGregor and Diana Mrowka, project officers at the IRIS Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, explained in more detail all the aspects of labour inspection based on the Montreal Recommendations. Montreal Recommendation 16, for example, is to strengthen and resource labour inspectorates and other relevant inspection authorities to ensure that they are effective in investigating all stages of the recruitment process. 

María José Ordóñez, Head of the Office of Placement Agencies at MITRADEL, made a presentation on the current legal framework for private placement agencies and held an exchange with the participants. The session culminated with the presentation by Marisol Linero, IOM consultant specializing in labour migration, of case studies with the inspectors where Convention 181, the Montreal Recommendations, national legislation on private placement agencies and ethical recruitment were applied. 

Since 2020, IOM has been supporting MITRADEL in promoting ethical recruitment, carrying out joint actions with the Employment Directorate within the framework of the project Promoting Ethical Recruitment in the Hotel and Tourism Industry, implemented by IOM and funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the US (United States) Department of State. 

For more information, please contact Mayteé Zachrisson, IOM Panama Communications and Media Assistant, at mzachrisson@iom.int.