Verité in the News
Read coverage of Verité’s work in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, The Associated Press, The Los Angeles Times, and more.
G7 Don’t Miss the Boat on Human Rights
Recently in Osaka-Saki, Japan, the G7 Trade Ministers convened to discuss key issues affecting the global trading system and the topic of fishing subsidies was high on the agenda. Each year, governments worldwide provide an estimated $35.4 billion to subsidize their fishing fleets and over 60% of these subsidies go to commercial fishing that contribute to depletion of the world’s fish stocks. The G7 Ministers pledged to work on additional provisions to the historic agreement struck last year by the World Trading Organization (WTO) to reform fishing subsidies. The call for action was to seek greater alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 14.6, which addresses overfishing and Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Due Diligence Training for US Government Officials
The United States and other governments are creating laws and regulations to require more effective management and prevention of these risks by those who sell goods and services to the government and by those who import goods into the US and other countries. As a result, government officials of many types – from contracting and procurement officials to Congressional staff – are increasingly engaged in matters related to labor and human rights risks in global supply chains.
Online Training for Procurement Professionals in Healthcare Systems
This is a training developed for professionals in healthcare systems involved in the procurement of goods and services. It examines the risk of forced labor and labor trafficking in healthcare, specifically regarding supply chains and service providers. This free course has no prerequisites.
Webinar: Introducing the Supply Chain Traceability Matrix
Do you have questions about traceability in supply chains? Are you interested in learning about how traceability can support labor due diligence? This webinar will introduce the Supply Chain Traceability Matrix, a free resource developed by Verite’s Supply Chain Tracing and Engagement Methodologies (STREAMS) Project for leveraging traceability to support labor rights in global supply chains.
Despite ‘No Fees to Workers’ Policies, Workers Are Still Paying
Verite’s analysis of thousands of recent recruitment transactions between employers and labor recruiters in high-risk labor migration corridors into the Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Gulf Cooperation Council regions finds that fewer than 10% of employers are recruiting workers ethically by paying the full cost of recruitment and preventing workers from being charged for their job.
Verité’s CEO publishes a new book chapter on the Model Contract Clauses Project
Verité’s CEO Shawn MacDonald, who has spent more than 25 years advocating for effective labor policies and practices through civil society advocacy, contributed to the Model Contract Clauses Project with the book chapter A Supply Chain Accountability Practitioner’s Perspective on the Model Contract Clauses Project. The chapter is part of the newly published American Bar Association (ABA) book Contracts for Responsible and Sustainable Supply Chains: Model Contract Clauses, Legal Analysis, and Practical Perspectives.
Verité leads panel discussion with Better Cotton and USDOL on traceability for sustainable cotton at Better Cotton’s Annual Conference
As part of Verité’s Supply Chain Tracing & Engagement Methodologies (STREAMS) project, Erin Klett, Director of STREAMS, led a panel discussion with STREAMS partner Better Cotton and the U.S. Department of Labor at the annual Better Cotton Conference in Amsterdam in June. Traceability and data were at the forefront of this two-day conference, which brought together 350 industry leaders from 38 countries to explore the most salient issues in sustainable cotton production.
Voices from the field: Senderos project participants describe everyday hazards and risks in sugarcane fields
In Mexico, sugarcane production and processing is comprised of a complex web of actors. Alongside sugar refineries, mills and farmers, the supply chain is made up of less visible actors, such as cabos or crew leaders and field leaders, who largely operate informally. The least visible and most vulnerable actors in the sugar cane supply chain are the sugarcane cutters, who are exposed to many labor risks, including severe risks to their health and safety.
Ensuring Government Advisors Comprehensively Understand Forced Labor in Côte d’Ivoire
On July 19, Verité and the International Cocoa Initiative kicked off a forced labor indicators training for human rights advisors of the National Council of Human Rights (Conseil Nacional des Droits de l’Homme— CNDH), an independent body that is tasked with ensuring the Côte d’Ivoire government’s adherence to all international treaties and cooperation agreements that the government has signed.
