Modern Slavery Risks, Rights and Responsibilities

This report aims to increase the Australian business community’s understanding of modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains, and to help prepare businesses to meet new regulatory requirements for transparent public disclosure.

While there is no globally agreed definition of ‘modern slavery’, the term is widely used to cover a range of practices that use coercion, threats, violence or the abuse of power to exploit and deprive people of their freedom. This includes human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices such as servitude, forced marriage, forced labour and debt bondage, deceptive recruiting for labour or services and child labour.4 These practices are crimes in international and domestic law.

Modern slavery occurs in every region of the world. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimated that on any given day in 2016 there were 40.3 million victims of modern slavery globally.6 Of those, 24.9 million people were estimated to be victims of forced labour, including 16 million in the private economy.

The Global Slavery Index estimates that in 2018 there are 15,000 people living in Australia in modern slavery.8 There is also an unquantifiable number of modern slavery victims working in the supply chains of Australian companies around the world.

RESOURCES

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Recent research reports

Compliance without ambition: Taking stock of ASX200 reporting under Australia's Modern Slavery Act

Modern Slavery Reporting

18 Apr 23

This report assesses the quality of ASX200 companies’ modern slavery statements under the Australian Modern Slavery Act and found only a small cohort of companies clearly disclosed and explained more complex or advanced actions to manage modern slavery risks. These findings offer the first detailed insight into the MSA’s third reporting cycle and a window into ASX200 companies’ broader modern slavery risk management actions.

Moving from paper to practice: ASX200 reporting under Australia's Modern Slavery Act

Modern Slavery Reporting

20 Jul 21

In the first year of reporting under the Modern Slavery act, most companies complied with the minimum disclosure requirements, with clear groups of leaders and laggards within the ASX200. The research identifies areas where reporting can be improved and covers the practical steps businesses have taken to mitigate modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains.

Modern Slavery Reporting - Guide for Investors

Modern Slavery Reporting

11 Nov 19

ACSI and RIAA prepared this guide to provide a framework for investor reporting. It provides broad context on matters investors may wish to consider in preparing their modern slavery statements and should be used in conjunction with the guidance provided by the Australian Government.