An estimated 21 million people are subjected to forced labor around the world and 168 million children are in situations of child labor. The American Bar Association believes that corporations have the power to help eradicate these human rights abuses and is asking for their assistance.
ABA President William C. Hubbard has sent a letter to the CEOs and general counsels of all U.S. companies in the Fortune 500 encouraging them to adopt and implement their own anti-human trafficking policies that are consistent with the ABA Model Business and Supplier Principles. The ABA House of Delegates approved the principles in February 2014.
"I write to ask for your company's assistance in fighting the scourge of human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery that affects millions of men, women, and children worldwide," Hubbard said in his letter.
The ABA is urging companies to consider adopting business and supplier policies on labor trafficking and child labor or to revisit their existing policies. While a majority of Fortune 100 companies with global supply chains have adopted policies on labor trafficking, the ABA believes that many of them could be further improved and better implemented through consideration of the ABA's Model Principles.
Published: Fri, Mar 13, 2015
