This lunchtime talk is about a dark side of trade. Eva Maria Scheid, EWMD in Berlin, will introduce us to the world of slavery in modern times. She is in contact with Phil Bennett, a key expert in the field, and will be asking a lot of questions to dive deeper into this secret world. We could not choose a better date as the EU Council posted today a ban on products that are made from forced labour.
"The Council has today adopted a regulation prohibiting products in the Union market that are made using forced labour." 20.11.2024
Modern slavery is a hidden crime that affects tens of millions of people around the world. It refers to situations of exploitation where a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception or abuse of power. Every country is affected. In recent years, the number of victims has increased due to poverty, war, climate change and migration. During the session, Phil will introduce you to the topic and then focus on the global issues of forced labour that occur in every company's supply chains. You will learn about the problem and what you can do to help tackle it.
Phil Bennett is a strategist and recognised expert in anti-trafficking technology. He currently works independently supporting organisations fighting human trafficking around the world. In recent years he has worked with dozens of NGOs, intergovernmental organisations and academic institutions, most recently in Ukraine, the USA and Asia. Prior to his work in anti-trafficking, Phil was a C-Suite advisor and consultant in the corporate IT sector.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philbennett/
If you like to get more information please follow these links.
EU: https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/guides/modern-slavery-law-eu
UK guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/publish-an-annual-modern-slavery-statement
UK example of a national help line: Unseen is a UK leading anti-slavery charity, https://www.unseenuk.org, https://www.linkedin.com/company/unseen-uk-/
Example Baden-Württemberg, Germany: recent Public Tender for Contact points for immigrants in exploitative employment (Kontaktstellen für Zugewanderte in arbeitsausbeuterischer Beschäftigung) https://www.esf-bw.de/esf/esfplus/wm/projektaufrufe/
Ikea zahlt in den Entschädigungsfond ein, weil in der DDR Gefangene Produkte hergestellt haben.
https://www.zeit.de/politik/2024-10/ikea-ddr-haeftlinge-entschaedigung
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS)
https://www.procurious.com/procurement-news/slavery-supply-chain
offers these examples of modern slavery:
Human trafficking: The act of recruiting, transporting, and transferring a person through coercive means for exploitation. Trafficking may not necessarily involve great distances.
Forced labour: Work or service taken from a person under the menace of a penalty and for which the person has not offered themself voluntarily. Forced labour may be a component of generational slavery as certain groups are designated for exploitation.
Debt bondage: Debt bondage occurs when a worker pledges their labour or the labour of others under their control as security for a debt. The actual value of the work is never applied to repayment of the debt, and the length and nature of the work required are never fully defined or limited.
Sale and exploitation of children: The sale and exploitation of children involves situations where one person transfers children to another for remuneration or other consideration.
International Labour Organisation in Switzerland
https://www.ilo.org/topics-and-sectors/forced-labour-modern-slavery-and-trafficking-persons Forced labour is a severe violation of human rights affecting 27.6 million of men, women and children in all countries and all economic sectors. It is rooted in poverty, discrimination and lack of social protection, and it disrupts fair competition between businesses. The issue has been at the heart of the ILO mandate to promote Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, leaving no one behind.
European Commission: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/internal-security/organised-crime-and-human-trafficking/together-against-trafficking-human-beings/national-hotlines_en Too often, information on trafficking in human beings is targeted at professionals only, leaving those who are affected the most left out, the victims. By providing contact information to service providers and hotline numbers in the Member States, the aim is to make this information easily accessible. If you are a victim of trafficking in human beings or want to report a crime in relation to trafficking in human beings you may use one of the national hotline numbers below. You can always be anonymous.
USA: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/china/ 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report: China
UK https://www.modernslaverycommission.org/about/. The Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking is an international initiative led by Baroness May of Maidenhead to exert high-level political leverage to restore political momentum towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking.
Chocolate. ://us.tonyschocolonely.com/ Where does you chocolate come from?
ALDI UK: https://www.aldi.co.uk/corporate/corporate-responsibility/fairer/modern-slavery
ALDI Germany: https://www.aldi-nord.de/unternehmen/verantwortung/menschen/human-rights.html
Tackling Modern Slavery: Human trafficking, forced labour and the exploitation of vulnerable workers are abuses of basic human rights that have no place in our business or supply chain.
