Stronger laws to tackle forced labour
Forced labour is a pervasive problem in global supply chains – and it must not be tolerated. The Freedom Fund, along with our civil society partners, advocate for the introduction and effective enforcement of laws to combat forced labour in global supply chains, including mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence and import bans.
Mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence
We support groups to move momentum towards the introduction of laws which mandate companies to respect human rights and the environment. These laws require companies to undertake “due diligence” to identify, assess and remedy harm across their value chains. When designed effectively, these are powerful laws to shift industries towards meaningful prevention and remedy of modern slavery, and to enable victims of harm to access justice in court. We also support groups to file legal cases to test and drive the effective enforcement of due diligence laws where they already exist.
Coalition Against Forced Labour in Trade
Launched in September 2023, the Coalition Against Forced Labour in Trade is an international network comprising 16 civil society organisations from major importing economies within the G20. This alliance is dedicated to the eradication of forced labour from global supply chains through the introduction and stringent effective enforcement of import bans against goods produced under such inhumane conditions. Import bans are a distinct but complementary tool alongside mandatory due diligence, functioning as a law-enforcement action to put pressure on employers, buyers and governments to change the practices driving abuses in supply chains and to drive urgent remedy to workers.
The mission of the Coalition is to ensure that goods tainted by forced labour find no refuge in any country, effectively making the entire globe a no-safe-harbour zone for such products. The Coalition embarks on a multifaceted approach that includes national, regional, and international advocacy, the sharing of expertise and critical information, and strategic engagements with policymakers.
Tariff Act
In 2019, The Freedom Fund launched the Tariff Act Legal Fund, a key initiative under our broader work focused on leveraging trade mechanisms to drive corporate actors to prevent, identify, mitigate, and remediate forced labour in their operations and supply chains. With Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. §1307) setting out a clear prohibition against goods produced with forced labour entering the US market, the Fund aimed to strengthen enforcement of the law by providing financial, technical assistance, and risk mitigation support to civil society.
Expanding on our support to frontline organisations under the Tariff Act Legal Fund, The Freedom Fund introduced the Tariff Act Advocacy Grants in 2023. This initiative aims to empower civil society with the means to pursue dynamic advocacy strategies, built upon evidence of forced labour collected for Tariff Act petitions. Our vision is to stimulate inventive approaches that disrupt the trade of goods produced through forced labour, and to assist in securing justice for victims of such conditions.
