Multi-agency workshop promotes innovative policies to prevent human trafficking in supply chains

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, 19 May 2017 – A two-day OSCE workshop on prevention of human trafficking for labour exploitation in global supply chains co-hosted by the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) concluded today. The workshop provided more than 40 experts and policymakers from 15 OSCE participating States with the opportunity to discuss how governments in the OSCE region can address this problem more effectively, share promising practices and lessons learned and explore opportunities for further co-operation.

“Transparent public procurement process and fair recruitment practices by private companies, if correctly incentivized and enforced, can have a great influence on preventing human trafficking in supply chains. To make this a reality, we must engage in partnerships to ensure that all relevant stakeholders do their part and work together to harmonize approaches,” said OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Madina Jarbussynova.

“I would like to commend the work of the CBSS and its development of concrete tools to prevent abusive recruitment, exploitative employment and trafficking of migrant workers in the Baltic Sea region,” she said.

Head of Media and Communications of CBSS Secretariat Anthony Jay underlined that “awareness of exploitation in supply chains is all of our responsibility, whether it happens within the borders of our own country or far away. We should not only think about the product we have in hand, we should think about the story behind its production”.

“Human trafficking in supply chains can only be effectively addressed if governments, businesses and stakeholders work together”, said Swedish Ambassador at Large for Combating Trafficking in Persons Per-Anders Sunesson. “Both businesses, governments and trade unions can do a lot more to prevent trafficking without any further delay by using already known methods. -. Governments for example, by regulating public procurement, transparency and labour recruitment and businesses, by acting beyond their own operations and the “silos” of their own supply chains through collaboration with other stakeholders.”

Swedish Corporate Social Responsibility Ambassador Diana Madunic  pointed out that “decent work and responsible business conduct is key to making globalization work for everyone, and for a sustainable development in line with the 2030 Agenda.

Workshop participants also discussed ground-breaking existing legislation, policies and initiatives such as the Swedish County Council Network on Sustainable Public Procurement, the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, Norway’s Socially Responsible Public Procurement Policy, the United States Executive Order on Strengthening Protection Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal Contracts, the United Kingdom’s Gangmasters Licensing Authority and Modern Slavery Act, as well as new initiatives such as the Netherlands Child Labour Due Diligence Law and France’s recently adopted law requiring companies to establish a "plan of vigilance" for identifying risks of human rights within their global supply chains.

The workshop of prevention of trafficking in human beings in supply chains through government practices and measures was  organized under an OSCE extra-budgetary project, financially supported by the governments of Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States.