IOM Representative to the UN Nacken (right) and JP-MIRAI Representative Director Yabuki (left) confirmed in Tokyo on August 7, 2025, that their collaboration will be further strengthened in the future. ©IOM2025
The International Organization for Migration (UN-IOM) and JP-MIRAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on August 7, 2025 to protect the rights of foreign workers and realize a diverse and inclusive society.
The MOU aims to create a diverse and inclusive symbiotic society that benefits all three parties: foreign workers, their countries of origin, and the host community in Japan. Specifically, the MOU includes areas of cooperation such as “promotion of foreign worker empowerment and fair and ethical recruitment,” “diverse stakeholder learning and citizen participation,” and “joint research and study.
At the signing ceremony, Mr. Nacken, UN-IOM Representative in Japan, said, “Securing a workforce has become an important issue in countries with shrinking populations, and the number of foreign workers in Japan has been increasing and the demand for such workers is also on the rise. We have high expectations for cooperation with multi-stakeholders through JP-MIRAI in order to convey the reality of international migrants who contribute to Japanese society in various ways and to realize a symbiotic society through evidence-based discussions.” He stated.
In response, JP-MIRAI Representative Director Yabuki said, “We hope to reassess issues related to the acceptance of foreign workers in Japanese society from a broad perspective through learning and comparison with precedent cases overseas gained from cooperation with UN-IOM, and promote the realization of a symbiotic society together with diverse stakeholders. We also hope that with the cooperation of UN-IOM on the country of origin side, Japanese companies will expand their acceptance of appropriate foreign workers through fair and ethical recruitment. said Mr. Kato.
With the signing of the MOU, the UN-IOM and JP-MIRAI plan to strengthen their cooperative activities.
■For inquiries from the press, please contact
International Organization for Migration (UN-IOM) Office in Japan iomjapancommunication@iom.int
JP-MIRAI Secretariat info@jp-mirai.or.jp
■About the International Organization for Migration (UN IOM)
The International Organization for Migration (UN-IOM), established in 1951, is a United Nations agency specializing in global migration issues, including the treatment of people displaced by conflict and natural disasters. It is based on the fundamental principle that “the movement of persons through regular channels and in a manner that guarantees the rights and dignity of the person benefits both migrants and society.
For more information, see the website: https://japan.iom.int/
About JP-MIRAI
JP-MIRAI (Platform for Responsible Recruitment of Foreign Workers) is a multi-stakeholder platform (a general incorporated association since June 2023) established in November 2020, including private companies, local governments, support groups, academics, and lawyers. In May 2024, the report of the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the Protection of the Rights of Foreign Workers and the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions of Foreign Workers included its complaint handling mechanism as a good practice example. As of August this year, it has 856 members (individuals and organizations).
For more information, see the website: https://jp-mirai.org/
