Forced labour is pervasive throughout labour supply chains, and across industries and geographies. Yet it is often hidden in plain sight. Over 16 million victims of forced labour were working in the private sector in 2016, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). Businesses are key actors in any global effort to tackle this challenge. 

Companies, suppliers and labour recruiters working in international supply chains are often unaware that their products may be wholly or partly produced by migrant workers at risk of debt bondage, passport retention and other rights abuses. 

In recent years, businesses have increasingly come to IOM to learn more about modern slavery, and how to identify and act on potential risks in their operations and supply chains. 

IOM’s Corporate Responsibility in Eliminating Slavery and Trafficking (CREST) programme and the human rights advisory firm Ergon Associates responded with the launch of a new modular training package: Building Business Capacity to Address Modern Slavery in Operations and Supply Chains. 

“Many companies face acute risks of modern slavery among their migrant workforce and in their supply chains, but they also have a great opportunity to prevent forced labour and provide decent work conditions. This programme aims to guide companies through the various practical steps they can take to address modern slavery, from understanding where the risks may lie, to developing prioritized action plans with clear lines of responsibility,” said Ergon Associates Director Stuart Bell.

The training focuses on the recruitment and employment of migrant workers, and will equip lead firms, suppliers and labour recruiters with the knowledge and tools to identify and reduce risks of modern slavery in their operations and among business partners. It uses presentations, group work, exercises and experience sharing to build on real-life case studies and best practices from various industries. The approach has been tested with companies from many sectors, including manufacturing, electronics, garment and footwear. More details on the programme are available here.

“As part of our modern slavery outreach program, we partnered with IOM’s CREST program to provide tailored training for our upstream supply chain partners across high risk locations in Asia. The IOM team developed practical, easy to use training modules to help factories raise their awareness on the identification and prevention of forced labour and modern slavery risks. This partnership allowed us to leverage IOM’s deep technical expertise and local knowledge,” said Aditi Wanchoo, Senior Manager for Social and Environmental Affairs Asia Pacific, adidas Group.

This training programme is at the core of CREST’s capacity building work and is designed particularly for management, human resources and compliance professionals working at international brands, local suppliers and labour recruiters. It can be used by government and civil society stakeholders alike and will be delivered by experienced international and local facilitators in various languages across the Asia-Pacific region. A Training of Trainers module is also available for businesses interested in building internal training capacity within their supply chains. 

“Understanding the risks is key to identifying concrete steps to tackle them. More companies are aware about modern slavery today than ever before, but change starts when awareness gives rise to action. By basing the training sessions in the reality of each practitioner, IOM is in a better position to enable businesses to act and collaborate for the benefit of millions of migrant workers involved in international supply chains,” said Maximillian Potter, CREST Project Manager at IOM Viet Nam.

For additional information, please contact IOM CREST.