Driving growth through decent work in supply chains in Asia and the Pacific
When we buy a shirt, use a mobile phone, or sip a cup of coffee, how often do we think about the people who made them possible?
In Asia and the Pacific, close to half a billion workers, whether in factories, on farms, at sea, or at home, form the backbone of local, regional, and global supply chains. From electronics in Vietnam and garments in Bangladesh to seafood in Thailand and automobiles in India, the region powers much of the world’s production—an economic engine worth trillions of dollars.
Yet, this economic strength hides challenges. Too many jobs are informal or precarious, with work outsourced through opaque subcontracting chains beyond effective oversight. Weak national capacity and inadequate enforcement mechanisms deepen these vulnerabilities, leaving space for exploitation, from unsafe and unfair conditions to child and forced labor. At the same time, only a limited number of workers have adequate social protection and persistent gender pay gaps remain across sectors.
These challenges are not inevitable. With the right policies, stronger institutions, and empowered workers, supply chains in Asia and the Pacific can be engines for inclusive growth. Strengthening public policy, building the capacity of regulators, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and ensuring that workers’ voices are heard, are all essential steps.
When workers are treated fairly, they are more engaged and productive. Evidence demonstrates that promoting decent work reduces risk, enhances business competitiveness, and boosts export performance. Decent work is not just the right thing to do; it’s good for business too.
Change is certainly underway. We have seen promising initiatives in the region, ethical recruitment practices that protect migrant workers, digital monitoring tools that increase transparency in factories, and sector-wide agreements that raise standards across entire industries.
But progress is uneven, and the region needs a coordinated, locally grounded approach.
Meanwhile, recent shifts in global trade dynamics create both risks and opportunities. There is a risk of losing momentum, but also an opportunity for Asia and the Pacific to take the lead in shaping a regionally grounded model for labor governance in supply chains.
With much of today’s trade occurring among countries of the global South, especially within Asia itself, the region is no longer simply responding to rules set elsewhere. The region can and should forge its own path as a trusted destination for resilient and equitable sourcing that drives decent work, value addition, and sustainable growth across supply chains, whether they are local, regional, or global.
This requires aligning trade, investment, governance, and responsible business conduct policies to reinforce decent work while boosting social protection coverage, addressing gender pay disparities, reducing informality, and investing in workplace safety.
That is why the International Labor Organization is convening governments, employers, workers’ organizations, and other subject matter experts in Bangkok on Sept. 15 and 16, for the regional policy forum, ”Resilient Supply Chains and Equitable Growth in a Changing World of Work.” This is not just another meeting; it is a launchpad for action, a space to move beyond talk, and to forge coordinated strategies that can reshape the way supply chains operate in Asia and the Pacific.
The choices we make today will shape the future of work in our region for generations. We can cling to models that chase the lowest cost at the expense of human dignity, or we can build a path where growth is shared and rights are respected.
Now is the time to act, to create a just, sustainable, and resilient world of work across Asia and the Pacific.
MINETTE RIMANDO,
rimando@ilo.org
