Explore obligations that companies face in identifying, preventing, and mitigating human trafficking that occur in global supply chains.
Human trafficking is a violation of human rights. Global supply chains consist of complex, lengthy, intertwined business relationships, and managing them poses logistical, practical, cultural, and legal challenges to multinational companies. Human trafficking can and does occur in these complex global supply chains. Review practical strategies that companies can deploy in meeting these obligations, in light of the challenges posed by the fact that they often have limited leverage over or visibility into certain portions of the global supply chain.Learning Objectives
- You will be able to define human trafficking and explain its connection to broader human rights principles.
- You will be able to describe the structure and function of global supply chains and identify why they are vulnerable to human trafficking.
- You will be able to outline legal and ethical obligations companies have in addressing human trafficking.
- You will be able to evaluate practical strategies and challenges companies face in preventing human trafficking within supply chains.
Agenda
What Is Human Trafficking?- How Does It Fit Into Human Rights?
What Are Companies’ Obligations With Regard to Human Trafficking in Their Supply Chains?
- Soft Law vs. Hard Law
- UN Guiding Principles, OECD Guidelines
- Disclosure: CA, UK, Australia
- Due Diligence: French, Dutch Laws on Due Diligence
- Canada Ombudsperson
- Proposed Laws on Due Diligence: EU Law, German Law, UN Treaty
- Commit Company Leadership to Address Human Trafficking and Human Rights Issues
- Map Global Operations to Identify High-Risk Areas
- Adopt a Risk-Based Compliance Approach
- Sever Ties With Violative Business Partners
- Action in the Community
- Logistical
- Practical
- Cultural
- Legal
- Case Study: The Thorny Question of Alleged Uighur Forced Labor in China
Speaker(s)
Michael CongiuLittler Mendelson P.C.
- U.S.-based attorney with Littler Mendelson P.C., specializing in business and human rights law, and international labor standards and related litigation and strategic projects
- Advises and counsels multiple multinational companies on developing and refining their human rights programs, and conducting human rights due diligence, policy, and disclosure drafting, and coordinating efforts between company legal, labor, sustainability, and stakeholder relations functions
- Specialized expertise in OECD National Contact Point Proceedings
- Repeatedly testified before the United Nations Human Rights Council (Geneva, Switzerland) regarding the proposed UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights
- Recognized expert on the Alien Tort Statute
- Co-author on multiple publications on business and human rights law and international labor standards, including 2019 Employment Law Update, Misplaced Efforts: The United Nations’ Proposed Treaty Imposing Corporate Liability for Human Rights Violations, Chapter 11, Wolters Kluwer, chapter co-author Lavanga Wijekoon, 2019; 2017 Employment Law Update, Imposing Liability on Employers Under the Shadow of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights, Chapter 4, Wolters Kluwer, chapter co-author Lavanga Wijekoon, 2017
