Government-to-government agreements establish recruitment channels through public employment services. Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs) have legal status, while Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) are non-binding, easier to negotiate and amend, and often preferred by governments. It is important that implementation and information-sharing provisions and review mechanisms are included among agreed commitments, while including model employment contracts is one way to encourage the improvement of employment standards without legislative change.
Section 7 of the Montreal Recommendations provides guidance on this topic while two Thematic Working Groups within the GPN attest to the importance of bilateral and multilateral mechanisms in the context of international recruitment. One TWG focuses on recruitment in the context of bilateral cooperation, while a second looks at recruitment in temporary and seasonal migration schemes.