Key Takeaways from the Discussion

The discussion highlighted the increasing importance of HRDD as part of business risk management and supply chain sustainability. Panelists shared common audit findings related to migrant worker recruitment and accommodations, emphasizing that many compliance gaps can be addressed through stronger oversight, improved documentation, clearer worker welfare policies, effective grievance systems and sustained engagement with labor providers.

The session also reinforced that SMEs face heightened expectations from global buyers and customers regarding forced labor prevention and responsible recruitment practices. As such, organizations should adopt a management systems approach that proactively identifies, assesses, and mitigates human rights risks rather than relying solely on periodic audits.

Panelists emphasized that worker welfare is a shared supply chain responsibility and that ensuring ethical treatment of workers cannot be outsourced. Businesses throughout the supply chain benefit from the contributions of workers and therefore have a collective duty of care to uphold fair recruitment practices, decent working conditions, and responsible employment practices. A recurring theme throughout the discussion was that accountability for worker welfare extends across the supply chain, requiring collaboration among employers, labor vendors, customers, and industry stakeholders to ensure workers are treated with dignity and respect.