Six years of collaboration between the Japan Consumers' Co-op Union and WWF: Behind the Scenes of Indonesia's Certification (Part 2)
2025
In recent years, human rights issues in supply chains have become a hot topic in various industries, including the fishing industry. Human rights due diligence (HRDD) is said to be essential in the fishing industry to prevent problems and improve the situation. We spoke to Rapazza Trairas of Oxfam in Asia, which works to protect human rights in the Asian region.
Rapazza Trairas
He is Private Sector Program Manager at Oxfam in Asia, where he leads supply chain work in Southeast Asia and works with civil society and NGOs on the ground to protect worker human rights and marine sustainability.
--What motivated you to take on this job?
I have always wanted to work to make society better and fairer. I thought about working for the government or local government, and tried out a few jobs as an intern, but this job seemed to suit me best, so I joined after graduating from university. ...I didn't expect to stay there for nine years, though.
As an international NGO, Oxfam is connected to the world on the one hand, and to local communities and NGOs on the other. I really like my current position, which allows me to work on a global scale while keeping my feet on the ground.
When I first came here, it was called "Oxfam Thailand," but over the years there have been some organizational changes and restructuring, and it is now called "Oxfam in Asia." Looking across multiple countries, you can see similarities and patterns. One international company may be involved in similar issues in other countries. Another advantage is that a broader perspective allows us to find more rapid and fundamental solutions.
--What is the status of ocean sustainability and human rights within Oxfam?
Oxfam is a large international NGO whose goal is to solve poverty and injustice. To that end, they also work on issues such as climate change and humanitarian aid in Africa, and in the Asian region, they also work on a variety of themes other than ocean issues.
I have been in charge of marine sustainability and human rights from the very beginning. One of our key features is that we deal with human rights and sustainability together, because we believe that these two issues are closely linked and one and the same issue.
--What are you doing to achieve that?
We will go into the field as necessary, but our main role is to connect local NGOs, companies, and governments, build cooperative relationships, and strengthen networks. To that end, we work with a variety of partners, including grassroots civic groups that rescue workers caught in the crossfire, local communities, and NGOs that are strong at lobbying governments to change systems.
The private sector team that I oversee is working on supply chain issues. We work with Oxfam's overseas teams to hold dialogue with global seafood buyers and the distribution sector, including supermarkets. Our strength is being able to talk directly with players in the supply chain across borders.
--Specifically, what kind of activities will you be involved in?
We are focusing on three main areas. The first is connecting, which is building relationships and networks with NGOs.
There are many types of NGOs and civil society groups, including those that are strong in the field of workers and those that are strong in sustainability. Organizations that are strong in the field are often small and close to the local community. They bring about big changes by collaborating with each other or with international NGOs like us. For effective collaboration, it is also necessary for them to share their ideas about the prioritization and weighting of issues, the key points of the problems, and the focus of the solutions they are aiming for.
The second job involves working with information. At Oxfam, we are particularly focused on advocacy based on reliable and credible information, in other words, evidence-based advocacy.* To achieve this, we conduct a lot of research and interviews to provide persuasive data and strengthen our advocacy. This takes time and effort, but it is also a role in which we can demonstrate our value.
And the third is supporting a dialogue platform for business. For example, Oxfam's colleagues in Europe and the United States can hold dialogue with major retailers such as global supermarket chains, and we can provide them with information about problems occurring in fishing sites, which can then lead to discussions aimed at finding solutions.
Dialogues linking workplace issues and international business are sometimes held between the people directly involved, but international forums are also held to promote broader dialogue. The Asia Inclusive and Responsible Business Forum (IRB Forum), which we co-hosted this month, is one such forum. Participants included companies, government agencies, NGOs, civil society groups, and local communities, and they engaged in meaningful discussions aimed at finding practical and feasible solutions.
--Oxfam serves as a hub for NGOs and civil society groups to facilitate dialogue with international companies. What are some of the specific supply chain initiatives that you have been working on for a long time?
My ongoing work has been to embed human rights and sustainability practices into our supply chains.
The goal is to balance respect for human rights and healthy communities with business interests, with labor rights at the forefront and corporate accountability at the back - understanding and managing the risks inherent in our supply chains. This is what we call supply chain management.
Our starting point is always the people involved, including the workers at the site where the problem is occurring. It all starts with on-site interviews. In reality, the voices of the people on the ground often first reach out to local NGOs, but we also go to the site and conduct research. We compile the results in a report, make recommendations, and engage in dialogue to find a solution.
--So they work together to create a movement.
It is important that the roles of local NGOs and international NGOs such as Oxfam mesh. Local NGOs play an important role in directly helping workers who are actually exposed to problems. However, such NGOs have limited resources and cannot handle all problems. They also have limited perspectives.
On the other hand, because we work with multiple NGOs, we can apply solutions to common problems. We can also take a holistic view of multiple problems and make proposals to change the entire system from a structural perspective.
--It seems like the first step, getting companies to listen to these topics, is difficult. Is there any way around it?
That's a tricky question, indeed. But if identifying problems helps to avoid business risks, that should be beneficial for the company.
Previously, there was a report of IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing in Thailand.click hereA good example is the scandal that came to light and drew huge criticism when it came to the distribution of seafood from IUU fishing.* This scandal was widely reported in the international media, and when consumers in Europe, the US and North Asia learned that seafood from IUU fishing had entered the supply chain, they said no to products that had people suffering behind them, causing a major change that engulfed the entire industry.
I've been doing this job for nine years, and I don't think my passion for the cause has changed at all. But at the same time, I've come to understand that a sense of justice and passion alone are not enough to actually bring about change. The Thai fishing industry has also made progress in taking measures against IUU fishing, and in some ways the situation has improved, with stronger regulations and the introduction of more comprehensive monitoring systems.
But at the same time, new loopholes in the law and other problems have arisen, and new ways of thinking are needed to address them. It is not easy to settle the matter once we have solved the problems we have faced. We need to continue our efforts without letting up, through collaboration between business, government and civil society. Only with stakeholder engagement, appropriate legislation and responsible action across the industry can we achieve meaningful change.
Part 2Mr. Nakamura spoke about his recommendations regarding human rights due diligence (HRDD) for Asian companies, what is needed for Asian companies to take the first step, his advice for those involved, and his expectations for Japanese companies.
Interviewed and written by: Keiko Ihara
He was in charge of design research and concept studies at a general design office until 2002. Since 2008, he has been involved in design research at infield design, and also works as a freelance writer and translator of design-related articles.
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Key terms and concepts to understand seafood sustainability.
