We find ourselves in increasingly volatile and challenging times for human rights and labor rights globally, with hard-won protections facing new challenges every day. Now, we face a critical and systematic dismantling of worker protections: the elimination of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) programs through deliberate, far-reaching cuts. This devastating action destroys decades of progress by gutting 69 essential programs—representing more than $500 million—that fought child labor, forced labor, and other labor abuses across 40 countries.
This webinar is for companies, suppliers, and traders seeking to understand and implement human rights due diligence in agricultural supply chains. Join Verité for the launch our new Farm Labor Due Diligence Toolkit, a groundbreaking, free resource to help companies tackle challenging human rights issues – including on farms and in the “first mile.”
Andrea Galvez, Verité’s First Mile Due Diligence Lead on why brands need to take supplier engagement seriously.
In today’s rapidly evolving global business landscape, due diligence is no longer just a buzzword it’s a critical component of sustainable and ethical business practices. As directors of Sustainability, CSR, or Supply Chain Management for multinational brands, you’re likely grappling with a significant shift: the transition from voluntary to mandatory due diligence.
Embedding human rights means integrating them into your company’s DNA, its culture, strategy, and daily operations. It’s about placing human rights on par with other core business priorities like efficiency, quality, cost, and environmental sustainability. This requires a fundamental shift in how businesses perceive their role and responsibilities in the global economy, moving beyond mere compliance to proactive engagement with human rights issues.
Building on the 2016 joint declaration between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire to combat human trafficking and child labor, Verité’s Forced Labor Indicators Project (FLIP) is strengthening collaboration between these two West African nations.
Since 2018 in Ghana, and 2021 in Côte d’Ivoire, Verité has fostered coalition-building through Technical Working Groups (TWGs), uniting diverse stakeholders to raise awareness of forced labor and human trafficking, influence policies, and drive national-level change through collaborative expertise.
