NEW YORK - UN experts* today urged States and businesses to take stronger action to address the serious and systemic challenges faced by migrant workers through the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
"Migrant workers are the backbone of vital industries. Yet they remain among the least protected," said Pichamon Yeophantong, Chairperson of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, presenting a report to the 80th session of the General Assembly.
"Those who sustain our societies are too often denied the most basic recognition of their humanity and their human rights."
In the report, the Working Group was alarmed by the plethora of business-related human rights abuses experienced by transnational migrant workers, including forced labour, exploitation and debt bondage, unsafe living conditions, as well as various forms of discrimination and violence. Although progress has been made globally and nationally to uphold migrant workers' rights, major implementation gaps remain. Barriers, such as distrust, fear of reprisals and low awareness, that prevent victims and their families from accessing justice and remedy also persist.
"Guaranteeing freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining is crucial here," the expert said.
"Recruitment must also be transparent, fair, and free of fees and costs charged to workers. Where harm occurs, businesses must provide for or participate in remedy, not in concealment."
To bridge the gap between established standards and migrant workers' lived realities, the report highlighted the imperative for States and businesses to work together to embed migrant workers' rights in policy and legal frameworks, as well as in corporate human rights due diligence processes.
"Leadership by States is paramount to creating a conducive environment for businesses to respect their human rights responsibilities," the report said.
"Migrant and refugee workers must also be meaningfully involved in shaping the State and corporate policies and regulations that impact their lives," Yeophantong said.
"Migrant workers are essential but frequently treated as disposable. Changing this requires political will, international cooperation, and the recognition that rights protection is not a constraint on economic growth. Rather, it is the foundation of sustainable development."
The Working Group examined emerging and positive practices by States and businesses, and provided recommendations on how States, businesses and other actors can incorporate the Guiding Principles into the protection of migrant workers.
