Businesses against human trafficking
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Human trafficking is a complex phenomenon and may be seen from different perspectives, such as human rights, migration, security and law-enforcement, social and labor, as well as economic. From the economic perspective, human trafficking is governed by the laws of supply and demand. Due to the low costs and huge profits, it has become one of the most profitable illicit industries worldwide generating tremendous profits, of over an estimated US$ 31 billion per year. Human trafficking deeply affects economic relations. As an illegitimate form of business, it negatively impacts the functioning of the legitimate business sector and puts the development of sound economic systems into danger. It is a ground where corruptive practices and money laundering proliferate.
The business community is a critical partner in helping eliminate human trafficking. In fact, there is a lot at stake for legitimate business if human trafficking continues to flourish. Most anti-trafficking initiatives have been undertaken by governments and non-governmental organizations, but very few programmes have engaged the business sector and harnessed their global reach and connections so far.
The End Human Trafficking Now! Campaign is the first worldwide initiative that places the business community in the forefront of anti-trafficking efforts.
Every company has the potential to contribute to elimination of human trafficking.
There are many options of implementation of anti-trafficking policies within a company. Companies can elaborate specific self-regulatory measures, such as codes of conduct and pro-active policies which are adapted to their activities. Some specific initiatives may be undertaken by companies according to their sphere of operation. See good practices examples.
Types of involvement:
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Setting standards:
Through the creation and implementation of ethical codes with high standards and in the company and its supply chain, the private sector can ensure that their activities do not directly or indirectly encourage or perpetuate trafficking. Compliance with the ethical code should be regularly monitored and continually address the shortcomings found through monitoring. Companies' operations and those of their supply chains should be sumitted to third party or second party audits against a reputable standard, such as SA8000. Companies should ask their highest risk suppliers to become certified against such reputable standards or at the very leaast, agree to be audited against companies' code of conduct.
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Ethical trading initiatives:
By forming an alliance of companies, NGOs, and trade unions, efforts can be undertaken to ensure that codes of labour practice are implemented across the supply chain, and good practices are identified and promoted globally.
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Training:
The private sector has a crucial role to play in training its employees and counterparts on how to identify and approach traffickers and their victims.
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Raising awareness:
The tourist sector, for example, can inform policy-makers and the public about trafficking through public-service announcements, in-flight videos, etc. They can inform trafficking victims of their alternatives, human rights, and the judicial process.
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Fundraising, marketing, and communications support:
The entertainment sector and sports sector can assist by raising funds for counter-trafficking initiatives, victim support, and long-term poverty alleviation.
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Technical assistance:
By donating software or providing technical support the telecommunications sector can assist law enforcement in tracking victims and traffickers.
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Law enforcement:
The private sector can play a role in eradicating crime syndicates. For example, the transport sector can adopt special screening mechanisms to detect illegal transport of human beings.
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Social reintegration:
The private sector can train or employ former trafficking victims and provide skills, mentoring, and internship programmes.
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Long-term prevention:
Through micro-credit schemes, poverty-alleviation, and economic-empowerment initiatives, the private sector can provide social protection to vulnerable groups and direct attention and funding to the underlying causes of trafficking.
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Watchdog:
The media can play a central role in monitoring the activities of national governments to ensure that their activities conform to their international obligations.
Cashing in on the multiplier effect will increase the effectiveness of anti-trafficking measures. In today’s global economy, the combined effort of committed members of the business community can serve to combat the problem internationally. Businesses can leverage available resources and existing alliances and build on efforts that promote awareness-raising among employees, partners, supporters and other shareholders of the company. This in turn, can promote further cooperation for the anti-trafficking efforts with partner organizations and their staff and serve to have a multiplier effect. Further, businesses can take a tough stance against trafficking by signing on to the Athens Ethical Principles, thus making all they come in contact with, aware of their zero tolerance approach to any sort of human trafficking.
There are significant gains for the companies in joining the anti-trafficking campaign. The experience of many corporations in the past years suggest that the commitment to ethical business brings significant gains to companies. Similarly, the commitment to an anti-trafficking policy could ensure the safe operation of the company and the irreproachable conduct of its personnel at all levels, thus guaranteeing the highest distinction of its corporate image. Moreover, it would build trust and develop good working relations, especially contacts between multinationals and local communities. It also creates within its staff a feeling of pride in being a part of a company that adheres to principles and values that protect the dignity of the human being. Importantly, a company’s responsible behavior could also ultimately contribute to the maintenance of a sound economic environment.
Ethical busineses that actively seek to reduce the risk of forced labour and human trafficking within their own operations as well as supply chains, will benefit their bottom line by protecting their brand and reputation, ensuring and even increasing access to markets, reducing turnover and increasing recruitment and retention rates, as well as reducing the risk of future litigation or regulatory violations.
The Athens Ethical Principles contain seven main values. Their implementation by business companies will contribute to the eradication of human trafficking worldwide.