The International Labour Organization (ILO) convened the forum “Resilient Supply Chains and Equitable Growth in a Changing World of Work: Advancing Decent Work through Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific” in Bangkok, Thailand, on 15–16 September 2025, highlighting the critical role of supply chains in driving inclusive growth across the region. Participants stressed that while supply chains have the potential to create opportunities for millions, realizing this promise requires sound policies, strong institutions, and active, independent workers’ and employers’ organizations. Only with these elements in place can trade and investment translate into decent work, shared prosperity, and resilience across Asia-Pacific’s diverse economies.
Over 200 participants from around 20 countries, including ILO government, employer, and worker representatives, along with development partners and experts, discussed coordinated strategies to strengthen labour standards, promote job formalization, reduce inequality, and enhance social protection through responsible business conduct. The forum emphasized that recent shifts in global trade offer Asia-Pacific a unique opportunity to develop a regionally grounded model of labour governance, positioning itself as a trusted hub for resilient and equitable supply chains.
Speakers highlighted that supply chains now provide a platform for regional leadership, particularly as much of today’s trade occurs within the Global South and increasingly within Asia itself. The forum showcased stories of change and practical examples demonstrating how ILO and tripartite constituents are enabling supply chains to become engines of fairness, sustainability, and social justice. Three newly released briefs provided evidence on opportunities and challenges for decent work in agricultural, manufacturing, and minerals supply chains, while the ILO’s newly launched Supply Chains Evidence Hub offered over 500 publications from the past decade to translate complex research into actionable insights for governments, employers, workers’ organizations, and development practitioners.
Supply chains represent 41 percent of global merchandise trade value and support at least 75 million workers in Southeast Asia alone. They are built not only on large corporations but also on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, which account for 97 percent of all enterprises in the region and employ nearly 70 percent of the workforce, underscoring the need for inclusive, locally driven strategies to ensure that growth benefits all.
