Policy paper

Principles to guide government action to combat human trafficking in global supply chains (html version)

Published 13 March 2020

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

The latest estimates suggest that 25 million people are in forced labour worldwide; 16 million in the private economy. Every day, in every region of the world, people are exploited in a multitude of industries including agriculture, electronics and apparel, among many others. Given the global nature of supply chains and the workforce that powers them, coordinated government action is critical in the fight to eradicate human trafficking, modern slavery and forced labour^{[footnote 1]} from our economies and to achieve the vision of Sustainable Development Goal 8.7. Together with the private sector, civil society, survivors, and international organizations, governments can implement policies and practices that raise awareness, incentivize innovation and action, and foster collaboration among key stakeholders.

On September 19 of 2017, the Governments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States, among others, endorsed a Call to Action to End Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, through which we committed to taking steps to eliminate slavery from our economies. The principles below provide a framework on which all countries can build a strategy to take effective action to prevent and eradicate human trafficking from public and private sector supply chains.

These principles are intended to align with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other frameworks^{[footnote 2]} and to complement the responsibilities governments have to protect human rights, enforce labor laws, protect fundamental principles and rights at work, regardless of worker migration status, and prevent and combat corruption—all factors that can help to prevent human trafficking.

As a group of countries with a combined central government spend of more than $600bn USD in 2017, we recognize that we have significant financial leverage and policy options at our disposal that can help to prevent human trafficking in global supply chains. In that context, we commit to take action to implement the principles below by advancing policies that are consistent with their objectives.

Although these principles stand as broad overarching objectives that all governments should work toward, it is recognized that governments may deploy varying practical measures drawn from their laws, policies, and practices and appropriate to their contexts to achieve the objectives^{[footnote 3]}. To that end, our governments commit to meet annually as appropriate to coordinate our efforts, and invite other interested Parties to join.

1. Whether called human trafficking, forced labor, or modern slavery, the issue is the exploitation of human beings for the purpose of compelled service through force, other forms of coercion, or fraud. For a definition of “trafficking in persons”, see the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children. ↩

2. Other frameworks include the ILO’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (fundamental worker rights), the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, the UN Convention against Corruption, as well as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct. ↩

3. These principles are not legally binding and do not affect states’ existing obligations under applicable international and domestic law, but rather reflect the political commitments of the states represented. ↩