The forced labor regulatory landscape for business is fast evolving. Early 2024 has seen notable enforcement actions under the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), adoption of the EU Forced Labor Ban Regulation, and the first reporting deadline under the Canadian Forced Labor and Child Labor Act. With this ever-evolving regulatory focus on modern slavery, requirements on companies are becoming increasingly prescriptive and stakeholder scrutiny is growing. Companies are expected to take significant, robust action on forced labor prevention across their value chain, beyond strong policies, governance, and communications.
Against this backdrop, benchmarks of company action indicate that while many companies appear to have effective governance measures in place, the execution and implementation of human rights due diligence is often inadequate and crisis-driven. As laws shift from reporting measures to mandated human rights due diligence, companies may need to re-think their supply chains and their approaches by investing in preventive measures and mitigating modern slavery risks within their operating context.
BSR’s Global Business Coalition Against Trafficking (GBCAT) will facilitate a discussion about regulatory trends, the impact of forced labor and modern slavery laws, and their implications for business. The discussion will also provide recommendations for companies to respond to existing and upcoming regulations.
Scheduled Speakers
- Maria Campbell, International Relations Officer, Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor & Human Trafficking · U.S. Department of Labor
- Leticia Hernández Frías, Manager, Supply Chains Act, Crime Prevention Branch, Public Safety Canada
- Ivann Liberatore, French Deputy Representative to the ILO and to the G7-G20 Labour & Employment
- Constance de Walque, Attaché COMPET, Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union
- Claudio Formisano, Global Lead, Human Trafficking and Forced Labor, BSR
- Taylor Hannegan, Manager, Human Rights and Collaborative Initiatives, BSR
