Kuala Lampur, Sept. 11 -- When we buy a shirt, use a mobile phone, or sip a cup of coffee, how often do we think about the people who made it possible?

In Asia and the Pacific, close to half a billion workers, whether in factories, on farms, at sea, or at home, form the backbone of local, regional and global supply chains. From electronics in Viet Nam and garments in Bangladesh to seafood in Thailand and automobiles in India, the region powers much of the world's production, an economic engine worth trillions of dollars.

Yet this economic strength hides challenges. Too many jobs are informal or precarious, with work outsourced through opaque subcontracting chains beyond effective oversight. Weak national capacity and inadequate enforcem...