Beyond Compliance: The Modern Slavery Act Research Project
PublicationsDocumenting the impact of new legislative acts is an indispensable tool for improving the effectiveness of this legislation and advancing business practice.
In a constantly changing world, financial institutions must continually adapt to new risk factors. Regional or global crises like war or natural disasters, in particular, can trigger or fuel criminal activity and related risks,1 including MS/HT. Increased vulnerability during crises can expose people to exploitation by criminal actors, often resulting in a rapid increase in traf- ficking and/or exploitation activities. For financial institutions, a crisis-driven increase in MS/HT raises the risk that they will become inadvertently involved in associated criminal activities via the banking services they provide.
A recent example is the war in Ukraine and the resulting ref- ugee flows to safe countries. As of early February 2023, more than 8 million people who fled Ukraine – mostly women and children – have been registered in other European countries.2 Despite their increased risk of falling victim to MS/HT,3 conver- sations between the Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST) initiative and members of the financial industry suggest that most financial institutions were not prepared to identify and mitigate the related risks in a timely way.
Documenting the impact of new legislative acts is an indispensable tool for improving the effectiveness of this legislation and advancing business practice.
For over a decade, the Netherlands has put its trading interests above its duty to protect against human rights abuse by companies operating under its jurisdiction. This report, based on Amnesty International research conducted between March and ...Read More
No country in the word is exempt from modern slavery. Regardless of size, population or wealth, this insidious crime permeates national borders and global supply chains. Even in countries with seemingly strong laws and systems, there are critica...Read More
The shift of economic production from higher labour standard regimes in the global North to lower standard regimes in the South is undermining enforcement of global labour standards. Responding to criticisms from the ‘anti-sweatshop’ movement, c...Read More