Importing Freedom: Using the U.S. Tariff Act to Combat Forced Labor in Supply Chains

An increasingly interconnected world has led to sprawling supply chains across the globe. But what is the human cost of increasing consumer demands for fresh produce year-round, fast fashion, and flashy gadgets? For those held in forced labor in supply chains, what remedies exist? What can advocates do to hold corporations accountable for human trafficking and forced labor in their supply chains? As one of the world’s largest importing economies, it is estimated that the United States imports up to $144 billion worth of goods made using forced labor. A few of the most imported at-risk goods include electronics, apparel, cocoa, seafood, timber, and cotton. This guide provides advocates with tools to leverage U.S. trade enforcement mechanisms, specifically the prohibition on imports made using forced labor, to clean up corporate supply chains. This guide is for anyone – U.S. and foreign NGOs, lawyers, labor unions, and individuals – interested in using U.S. trade law and policy to combat forced labor in their countries.

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Forced Labor: Actions Needed to Prevent the Availability of At-Risk Goods in DOD’s Commissaries and Exchanges

Guidance

The Department of Defense (DOD) has some policies and processes in place to prevent the resale of goods produced through forced labor in its commissaries and exchanges. However, despite their generally common business of providing reduced- priced gr...Read More

TAGS: Due Diligence Garments & Textiles Tourism, Hospitality & Recreational Services Domestic Work/ Servitude Healthcare/ Pharmaceuticals Financial sector Extractives & Mining Agriculture, Horticulture & Landscaping Information and Communications Technology Aquaculture & Fishing Transportation/ Logistics Forestry/ Reforestation, Wood & Paper Manufacturing Food & Beverage - Processing & Packaging Informal Sector Construction & Security Services Global

Exposing the Hidden Victims of COVID-19

COVID-19 resourcesGuidancePublications

The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing just how fragile the protection and prevention framework on modern slavery is, despite progress in recent years resulting from a new focus, marked particularly by a drive toward national anti-slavery legislation. ...Read More

TAGS: Due Diligence Domestic Work/ Servitude Informal Sector Global

Crisis in Human Trafficking During the Pandemic

COVID-19 resourcesGuidance

Over the last few months, Polaris has been carefully tracking the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking. As part of this effort, Polaris has undertaken a systematic examination of relevant da...Read More

TAGS: Reporting North America

Child Protection 2017 Policy Template and Self Audit Tool

Online ToolsGuidance

This document is not a comprehensive resource on child protection policies, but rather provides a solid introduction on developing a policy for your organization. Organizations, staff, volunteers, and visitors must be fully aware that child abuse ca...Read More

TAGS: Reporting Auditing & QSA Training Global