Forced labor, trafficking, and modern slavery (referred to collectively herein as forced labor) are human rights abuses persistent in global supply chains. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that, in 2016, 16 million people were in situations of forced labor in the private sector. Companies must be vigilant in their commitment to safeguard workers’ rights, in particular with regard to the risk of forced labor. Global efforts to tackle the problem of forced labor include new laws and regulations as well as new benchmarking initiatives aimed at highlighting the best and worst practices amongst companies. Companies face serious legal and reputational risks if they do not take effective action to prevent forced labor in their global supply chains.

The Fair Labor Association’s (FLA) stand against forced labor has been evident since the organization’s foundation in 1999. FLA standards on forced labor detail more than a dozen indicators for companies evaluating whether their suppliers or producers are upholding their human rights commitments and can be used at any supply chain level. The FLA Workplace Code of Conduct (the FLA Code) clearly states that there “shall be no use of forced labor, including prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor or other forms of forced labor.”

This brief focuses on international standards, frameworks and best practices for identifying and eradicating forced labor in supply chains. It explains the indicators of forced labor as set out in the FLA Code, provides examples of risks and violations reported by the FLA’s on-the-ground assessors, and offers recommendations of proactive and cooperative steps that companies can take to ensure suppliers do not engage in, contribute to, or tolerate forced labor.

Forced labor in supply chains: Addressing risks and safeguarding workers' freedoms - Fair Labor Association, July 2019 DOWNLOAD

post

page

attachment

revision

nav_menu_item

custom_css

customize_changeset

oembed_cache

user_request

wp_block

wp_template

wp_template_part

wp_global_styles

wp_navigation

wp_font_family

wp_font_face

acf-taxonomy

acf-post-type

acf-field-group

acf-field

ai1ec_event

exactmetrics_note

Disrupting Harm in Malaysia: Evidence on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
Guidance

Funded by the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children, through its Safe Online initiative, ECPAT International, INTERPOL and UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti worked in partnership to design and implement Disrupting Harm – a rese...Read More

TAGS: Asia
Eradicating Modern Slavery: An assessment of Commonwealth governments’ progress on achieving SDG Target 8.7
Guidance

At the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), states committed to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 8.7, by taking “effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human traf...Read More

Legislating Human Rights Due Diligence: Respecting rights or ticking boxes?
Guidance

Momentum to enact mandatory human rights due diligence (HRDD) legislation is building around the world. Such legislation is necessary to ensure corpo- rations respect human rights and that victims of corporate abuse have access to justice and remedy...Read More

Voices at Risk: Canada’s Guidelines on Supporting Human Rights Defenders
Guidance

Canada’s Guidelines on Supporting Human Rights Defenders (the Guidelines) is a clear statement of Canada’s commitment to supporting the vital work of human rights defenders. The Guidelines outline Canada’s approach and offer practical advicefo...Read More