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Combatting unacceptable forms of work in the Thai fishing and seafood industry (Better Fisheries Programme) - Final evaluation

eval_number:

2547

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/2547

lessons_learned:

themes:

theme:

Planning and programme design

category:

Organizational issues

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comments:

The lesson is relevant for the ILO and donors.

challenges:

See below

success:

In general, significant change requires a significant commitment of time and money. Recognizing that the pace of change is often outside the direct control of projects, ILO put staff in the field more than three years to work hand-in-hand with counterparts in government and civil society. However, much more effort will be required to consolidate and advance the gains that have been made. Some examples follow: (1) Even with a strong legal foundation in place, significant political pressure, and the concerted effort of ILO and tripartite constituents, the ratification of the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labor Convention (P29) and the Work in Fishing Convention (C188) took roughly 30 and 35 months from the start of the project, respectively. It took additional time to pass national laws. At the end of the four-year-project, ministerial regulations required to fully implement all provisions of the national laws were still being developed (2) new enforcement mechanisms (Port-in, Port-out Control Centers) that were established prior to the project have been strengthened; however, better procedures are still needed to combat forced labor and wage theft (3) It took more than three years to set up a new GLP program for the seafood processing sector and success in term of greater worker engagement in government-mandated company welfare committees and the achievement of better labor conditions had not yet been demonstrated by the end of the project. A similar program for the fishing sector has yet to be established.

context:

In February 2016, with the support of the European Union (EU), the International Labour Organization (ILO) launched a four-year, €4.2 million project titled, Combatting Unacceptable Forms of Work in the Thai Fishing and Seafood Industry (THA/15/03/EUR - 105548). The project aims to “prevent and reduce forced labour, child labour and other unacceptable forms of work and progressively eliminate the exploitation of workers, particularly migrant workers, in the Thai fishing and seafood processing sectors.” It focuses on four related objectives: (i) strengthening the legal framework, (ii) enhancing the capacity of the labor inspectorate to enforce the laws, (iii) promoting greater compliance with labor standards through the implementation of an industry-led Good Labor Practices (GLP) program, and (iv) expanding services to migrant workers and their families. Significant efforts to address these issues had already been made prior to the initiation of the project, including the enactment of legal reforms, establishment of new enforcement mechanisms (Port-In, Port-Out Control Centers), establishment of a GLP program in the seafood-processing sector, and initial worker organizing for fishers. Moreover, numerous civil service organizations (CSO) were already providing services to migrant workers and their families.

description:

ILO and donors need to be prepared to work in a country over a long period of time, particularly in countries with limited capacity and/or entrenched bureaucracies.

administrative_issues:

Design / Resources

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/217339

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location:

country:

Thailand

region:

Asia and the Pacific

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eval_title:

Combatting unacceptable forms of work in the Thai fishing and seafood industry (Better Fisheries Programme) - Final evaluation