A New Rights Agenda Led by Intelligence

On 12 February, details of a new due diligence act for supply chains were announced by the German government, signifying a landslide move that will affect more than 2,900 companies by 2024.

The decision is widely being hailed as a ‘new duty of care for human rights’ and will come into force for companies with over 3,000 employees from January 1 2023.

“This will be the strongest statute in Europe, even globally.”

– Hubertus Heil, German Federal Minister for Labour and Social Affairs

The need

Supply chains extend from the raw material all the way through to the final product, and the bigger the company, the longer and more complex the supply chain becomes. We know that the unfortunate reality of many large supply chains is increased risk of exploitation – and with the corporate economy growing every day, it’s vital that action needs to be taken at a global scale to ensure their transparency.  

“Both informal work and modern slavery are not only growing but increasingly prevalent in the supply chains of large corporations.”

– Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2017

The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act will protect human rights expressed in The International Bill of Human Rights, lessening the risk of human trafficking and modern slavery. Not only this, but it holds the potential to set a new precedent for other governments and businesses too.

“We see this as a step that other countries will take in the near future. Lawyers are predicting the rapid proliferation of laws around the world that encourage global corporate citizens to avoid supporting human rights abuse or making it profitable through the supply chain.”

– Jon Hargreaves

Traffik Analysis Hub – Facilitating the change

Platforms such as Traffik Analysis Hub (TA Hub) – that provide a safe and non-competitive space to share data and gain intelligence insights and analysis tailored to client requirements – allow organisations to undermine the economic fundamentals of traffickers and markedly reduce opportunities for exploitation.

By joining TA Hub, you can become part of a culture of like-minded organisations, working as the German statute to set a new precedent for preventing human rights abuses.

Greater transparency and due diligence is the key, and by bringing our fellowship of human trafficking and modern slavery into a collaborative space, we can begin to use intelligence to protect people.

Sign up for a demo today.

About TA Hub

TAHub is a unique collaboration between STOP THE TRAFFIK, IBM, and Clifford Chance LLP. It was conceived in 2017 to create the richest global understanding of trafficking and the exploitation of people. It also makes insights and accessible analysis available to every actor in every sector. The Hub was publicly launched in Washington DC in November 2019 and is already the richest data set on trafficking globally, helping financial institutions, businesses, NGOs, and Law Enforcement to work smarter. 

Sources: Reuters, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre