Addressing modern slavery

A crisis affecting 50 million people worldwide is becoming increasingly visible.

In July, the Australian Federal Police announced that the number of reports of modern slavery increased by 12 percent in 2023-2024 compared to the previous budget year.

The reports – 382 in total – contain alleged incidents of human trafficking, forced marriage, forced labour, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, deceptive recruitment and debt bondage.

The AFP commander who announced the figures linked the rise in reported cases to “increased awareness of these crimes in the Australian community”.

Australia has an estimated 41,000 people living in conditions of modern slavery.

In other words, this is a largely invisible crisis.

Australia has the Modern Slavery Act in 2018, requiring certain entities – large companies based or operating in Australia – to report on the risks of modern slavery within their operations and supply chains.

It was groundbreaking legislationan important step towards tackling an underestimated global problem – although not the first: the UK led the way from 2015.

The National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020-25 has further strengthened the Australian Government’s commitment to “actively prevent and combat all forms of modern slavery wherever they occur”.

But a 2023 judgement concluded that the law had not contributed to meaningful change for people living in modern slavery in Australia.

The branch of an Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner is intended to strengthen these efforts, with a focus on helping companies address the risks of modern slavery practices and support victims and survivors.

It comes at a crucial time, as the costs of inaction continue to rise.

An estimated 50 million people worldwide are living in modern slavery – in businesses and in private homes, and in a wide range of industries.

The growing demand from countries, businesses and consumers to ensure that what they buy, sell and produce is free from any link to modern slavery means that tackling the issue is not a choice – it is a necessary part of doing business.

In the intricate web of connections called globalization, it is a major challenge – even so-called green industries are not immune – but it can. It starts with recognizing and naming it.

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