Estimates indicate that 27 million victims fall prey to trafficking and slavery each year and that it is a global trade valued at $32 billion dollars. But due to the clandestine nature of these crimes and the reluctance of victims to speak out because they live in fear of physical retribution and/or deportation, trafficking and slavery are typically very difficult to uncover and prosecute.
ICCR members ask the companies they hold to adopt human rights policies that formally recognize human trafficking and slavery and to train their personnel and their suppliers to safeguard against these risks throughout their supply chains.
Featured ICCR Initiatives
The Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act (H.R.3226/S.1968 - the "Maloney Bill"). The bills, if enacted, would require companies with over $100 million in worldwide gross receipts to disclose measures they have taken to identify and address the risks of forced labor, human trafficking and the worst forms of child labor throughout their supply chains and, consequently, would have broad international impact. The bills would apply to all publicly traded or private entities in every sector.
Establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia. The US Department of State has found that some migrant workers from Asia and several Pacific Islands, recruited to work temporarily in Australia in agriculture, construction, hospitality, and domestic service were found to be in forced labour. Further, some Australian companies may be implicated in using forced labour in their supply chains through sourcing goods and services domestically and internationally. ICCR is joining Australian investors and the UNPRI in circulating an investor statement in support of the new Act. Read the investor sign-on letter.
Conflict Minerals. Companies worldwide are under increasing scrutiny for the presence of “conflict minerals” within their products and supply chains. Sourced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), “conflict minerals” are responsible for significant revenue flows to militia groups. Dodd-Frank Section 1502 (the Conflict Minerals Rule) has helped successfully stem the tide of income to militia groups. Now under threat from the current political administration, ICCR is urging continued support of Section 1502.
Featured Resources
ICCR's Statement of Principles & Recommended Practices for Confronting Human Trafficking & Modern Slavery. ICCR's guildelines for companies to follow to ensure their global supply chains remain free from human trafficking and forced labor. Our Principles have been endorsed by nearly 500 groups and individuals.
ICCR's Human Trafficking Investor Statement: ICCR calls on companies to adopt human rights policies banning human trafficking, and to make these policies a key part of core business policies.
Human Trafficking Statistics:From the Polaris Project.
Resources for Responsible Recruitment: Verite provides resources for ensuring fair hiring in global corporate supply chains.
Guidelines for checking labor recruitment agencies: From the International Tourism Partnership.
