The Freedom Fund is launching a new fund to support frontline organisations to hold multinational companies accountable for forced labour in their supply chains. The Corporate Accountability Seed Fund will support organisations based in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand to initiate or advance existing corporate accountability actions in the region, including strategic litigation.
Recent years have seen a growing number of initiatives aimed at incentivising companies to prevent the exploitation of workers in their supply chains. Yet most of these initiatives are led by organisations in the Global North.
This fund is the first of its kind dedicated to ensuring that worker-led organisations and other civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Global South can take direct action against companies that are failing to meet their responsibilities.
This initial funding round will support 14 organisations with seed funding and technical support. It is hoped that other funders will join future rounds to enable the fund to scale.
Sokcha Mom, Director at Legal Support for Children and Women in Cambodia, one of the fund recipients, said: “Most of us rely on state-based grievance mechanisms to help migrant workers or survivors of human trafficking access justice and compensation. However, these mechanisms are complicated, costly and time-consuming. Therefore, this seed fund, along with the program’s technical assistance, will enhance our ability to support migrant workers and trafficked persons in accessing justice.”
Building frontline capacity and knowledge
The Freedom Fund have partnered with ReAct Asia to implement the seed fund and facilitate the regional exchange program. To date, 30 civil society partners in Southeast Asia have participated in practical training workshops aimed at strengthening their understanding of supply chain investigations and their knowledge of corporate accountability mechanisms.
Join us for greater impact
The Freedom Fund acknowledges that pursuing corporate accountability actions can be daunting for local actors without essential resources and connections. This innovative fund is designed to empower frontline CSOs and human rights defenders with the tools and support they need to make significant strides in their strategies.
We invite other funders dedicated to protecting workers’ rights to join us in supporting this crucial program and amplify our collective impact. By working together, we can build a stronger, more connected network of CSOs in Southeast Asia, capable of holding companies accountable and securing access to justice for victims of forced labour.
For more information, please contact Art Prapha, Senior Program Manager (Corporate Accountability) at [email protected]
Photo: Jittrapon Kaicome / The Freedom Fund
