A Year Defined by Tectonic Shifts and Deliberate Focus
Dear Friends of Verité
Few years have tested our focus and resolve the way 2025 has. Individuals, companies, and organizations—including Verité—contended with profound uncertainty and rapid, tectonic shifts. Constant changes in global trade policy, significant reductions in government support for labor and human rights, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, ongoing migration crises, and persistent conflict and climate disasters compounded risks for vulnerable workers.
In this environment, Verité knew that to be effective, we had to make deliberate choices about where to focus. Rather than get caught up in the moment—responding to every emergency or trend—we concentrated on areas where we believed progress was both urgently needed and actionable.
Strengthening human rights due diligence in practice
As human rights due diligence (HRDD) expectations shifted from voluntary commitments toward required actions, we focused on helping partners transition due diligence from policy to practice. We prioritized the creation of practical tools and accessible learning that build capacity across supply chains, including new traceability and labor due diligence resources, enhanced forced labor training, and sector-specific support to companies navigating transparency requirements for responsible sourcing and emerging enforcement measures, including forced labor import bans.
We expanded global access to our First Mile Toolkit, with translations in Spanish, Portuguese, and French. This reaches the earliest points in supply chains—from smallholder farmers to processing plants—with practical HRDD guidance at the point of greatest risk
Advancing collective action for systemic change
Systemic problems require collective responses—forced labor is no exception. In 2025, we invested in coalition-building—supporting shared data, informed dialogue, and coordination across sectors. As a founding partner in the World Economic Forum’s Global Data Partnership Against Forced Labour, Verité helped establish the foundations for more aligned, data-driven responses to forced labor risk.
No organization or company can address forced labor risks alone. In 2025, we invested in coalition-building—supporting shared data, informed dialogue, and coordination across sectors. As a founding partner in the World Economic Forum’s Global Data Partnership Against Forced Labour, Verité helped establish the foundations for more aligned, data-driven responses to forced labor risk.
Illuminating systemic risks through credible research and data
Amid an ever-crowding landscape of tools and new technologies, we doubled down on rigorous, worker-centered research that reveals root causes and centers workers’ experiences and perspectives. This included new research on labor conditions in the cocoa sectors of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, strengthening accountability for migrant workers and informing more effective due diligence.
Our work is to illuminate systemic risks and provide the field with tools to address them. This year, we strengthened how we share both—most visibly through the launch of a rebuilt Verite.org. The new site provides intuitive access to three decades of research, tools, and guidance, extending our impact beyond individual projects.
Looking ahead, the path forward will not be easy—but Verité’s role is clear. In 2026, our focus will be on closing critical gaps: from policy to practice, from isolated interventions to industry-wide partnerships, from gatekeeping to open knowledge-sharing—all to create tangible change for workers worldwide.
Thank you to our partners, donors, and colleagues whose leadership and commitment make this work possible.
With gratitude,
 |
Shawn MacDonald CEO, Verité |
2025
