28 July 2022, Ho Chi Minh City - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) today launched a new online course for businesses to promote responsible business practices in Viet Nam. 

The self-paced course, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, aims to help business enterprises operating in Viet Nam to understand, identify, and mitigate risks of forced labour faced by migrant workers in their operations and supply chains.

Through four interactive modules, participants will learn about the concepts of responsible business practice, forced labour and human trafficking, as well as recommendations on actions to enhance protection of their employees, including migrant workers.

“Responsible business is a global trend with increasing implications for Viet Nam. It is important for business enterprises to maintain balance between economic growth and sustainable development so that their business benefits all stakeholders, not only shareholders”, said Ms. Mihyung Park, Chief of Mission, IOM Viet Nam.

“The new online course is presented in an accessible and engaging format with many real-life examples that will help enterprises better facilitate responsible business practice and contribute to sustainable and inclusive development,” Ms. Park added.

Dr. Josefine Wallat, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany said, “The Federal Republic of Germany recently passed the Law on Corporate Diligence in Supply Chains, which obliges large companies in Germany to conduct due diligence not only in their own business area, but with a view to the entire supply chains regarding human rights.”

“The online course, developed in partnership with IOM, provides an excellent tool for companies in Viet Nam to strengthen their capacities and take responsibility to respect human rights in all steps of the production process,” Dr. Wallat added.

Since 2020, Viet Nam has been developing a National Action Plan on improving laws and policies to advance responsible business practices. This attempt aims to attract high-quality and sustainable investment to Viet Nam which will contribute to both economic growth and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The online course builds on key resources on business and human rights including UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and IOM’s Migrant Workers Guidelines for Employers.

It can be found free of charge on IOM E-Campus at bit.ly/IOM_RBPEN for the English version and bit.ly/IOM_RBPVN for the Vietnamese version. The e-course flyer is available here. 

This initiative is within the framework of IOM’s Corporate Responsibility in Eliminating Slavery and Trafficking (CREST), a regional program aiming to enhance the protection of the human and labour rights of migrant workers in business operations and international labour supply chains.

For more information, please contact Ms. Nguyen Thi Bao Chau at thibnguyen@iom.int.

For media queries, please contact Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Yen at thihnguyen@iom.int.