Enforcing Accountability of States & Businesses in Supply Chains

Report of UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery

At the UN General Assembly on 8th July 2015 the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Urmila Bhoola, presented a report in which she provided a thematic study on enforcing the accountability of States and businesses for preventing, mitigating and redressing contemporary forms of slavery in supply chains. The report states: “Globalization has created unprecedented opportunities for corporations to extend their operations across national borders, including to developing countries, in order to source the cheapest products and maximize profit. The demand for cheap labour meets a
ready supply of workers from vulnerable groups: indigenous people, minorities, those considered to be from the “lowest castes” and migrants, especially those in an irregular situation. Women workers are particularly vulnerable to exploitation in certain sectors given the nexus of gender discrimination and inequality.” Read more…