Connecting workers, communities, and businesses for sustainable supply chains
We are an independent NGO operating on the ground - in global supply chains - working with workers and communities, in partnerships with civil society, business, and government, to build worker-validated, community-validated ethical supply chains from the bottom up.
In partnership with global brands, retailers, and suppliers in the Americas, Asia, Europe, Australia, and Japan, we have achieved amazing things together: identifying and remediating over 334,000 cases of worker-reported labor abuses in the past 3 years, catching what audits are missing, strengthening company grievance mechanisms, recruitment processes, and responsible sourcing, and working in partnership with business to ensure not just remediation but also continuous improvement and more ethical systems over time.​​
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Want to join us?
On the ground, in communities & supply chains: We are transforming the lives of millions of workers & communities through worker voice, partnership & innovation.
OUR MODEL: INCLUSIVE LABOR MONITORING
Issara's model is simple: Because we and our partners are on the ground in supply chains and provide high quality support services to workers, workers trust us. Workers call our independent worker voice channels when they need information or support with labor issues, and we are there for them and able to help them get their issues remediated.
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At the same time, we have partnerships with brands, retailers, and leading suppliers and manufacturers. And, we have great tech. Our business partners are connected to real-time, safeguarded worker feedback, and together we are detecting and remediating labor abuses in supply chains that are not being detected and resolved by audits or social compliance schemes.
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Over the past three years, workers have contacted our channels more than 524,000 times through calls and messages, resulting in the identification and remediation of labor violations for over 334,000 workers.
Remediation is also an entry point for detecting and addressing root cause risks, so that we can prevent future risks and harms to workers, and drive down the numbers of people in forced labor globally. Issara tech is not just tech that is distributed to workers: it is tech that is actively used by workers and making a real impact.
What's new in Issara Institute?
Reports and Data
The First Mile and the Bottom Line:
Unlocking a Financially Viable Model for Ethical Seafood through Worker Engagement
In our latest five-country field investigation, we went on the ground to examine 108 worker engagement mechanisms across Asian seafood supply chains.​ The findings reveal how commercial audits and dysfunctional or ‘passive’ grievance mechanisms in seafood supply chains keep human rights abuses undetected and unaddressed - especially at the "first mile" origin communities where workers are recruited. This leads to "labor-washing," including within the supply chains of certified seafood products.
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The report calls for a fundamental shift toward a shared responsibility model. Key recommendations include the creation of a Social Impact Fund to support continuous, worker-driven monitoring led by local civil society organizations, as well as support to producers on remediation.
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Explore our findings and let us know what you think!
Transformative Tech
Cascading Sustainability Data Ecosystem (CASCADE):
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Better Data + Better Solutions
Global trade is evolving, and key importing countries such as the U.S., EU, and Canada prohibit the import of goods made with forced labor. Reliance on static, often dated snapshots and risk estimates that fail to pinpoint and remediate forced labor are no longer sufficient. To address this, we have launched CASCADE: Issara's new worker voice-driven technology and solutions platform.
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Built for brands, retailers, suppliers, and recruitment agencies, CASCADE moves beyond traditional audit-compliance reporting and SAQs to real-time labor monitoring and analytics across global supply chains, and well as worker-validated remediation support: exactly what companies need for driving ethical supply chains, and the 2026 regulatory landscape. ​
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CONTACT US
We'd love to hear from you!
Access our worker voice channels
Our team is available 24/7 through any of our free worker voice channels!
Myanmar language:
1-800-010-180
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Khmer language:
1-800-010-181
Lao & Thai language:
1-800-010-182
Nepalese language:
+66 63 496 5600
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Bengali language:
+66 94 888 6682