Modern slavery is one of the most complex and important human rights challenges of our time. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the term modern slavery covers a set of legal concepts, including forced labor, debt bondage, and human trafficking. It is an umbrella term to refer to situations of exploitation that an individual cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power.4 According to a 2017 ILO report,5 at any given time there are more than 40 million people in situations of modern slavery worldwide, nearly 25 million of whom are trapped in forced labor, a condition that violates the human right to freely chosen employment. The devastating health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic increases the risk of modern slavery and other forms of exploitation for many people and communities. The COVID-19 crisis exacerbates underlying factors that can make people vulnerable to modern slavery, including poverty, financial insecurity, lack of mobility caused by local or national shutdowns, and supply chain and logistics challenges due to changes in demand.
Through our policies we communicate our values and expectations, setting a high bar for ourselves and our partners and making clear that we do not tolerate modern slavery. We are committed to consistently evolving and improving our approach. We regularly review our policies to identify areas for update and improvement. We conduct in-depth benchmarking against international standards and evolving industry norms at least every three years in line with industry best practice.
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