NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner signals new era of action for business in anti-slavery plan

NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner’s Strategic Plan 2023 – 2026 was launched today at Parliament House

Fair Supply was delighted to join survivors, politicians, businesses, NGOs, at the launch of the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner’s Strategic Plan 2023 – 2026 today at Parliament House. The theme of the morning was “working together for real freedom.”

The NSW Anti-slavery Commission, Dr James Cockayne described NSW as leading the fight in modern slavery. NSW was also the first in Australia to appoint an anti-slavery commissioner (in 2022), and the second in the world. Moreover, NSW is the first to mandate removal of modern slavery in procurement.

Modern slavery is estimated to cost the NSW economy around $956m to $9.6 billion and is an immense burden on survivors and families.

The Commissioner announced five key priorities to be pursued to see the human right to live free from slavery realised in NSW: build prevention capacity, enable remedy, foster responsible business practices, change the narrative, develop a community of purpose.

The announcement follows new figures from the 2023 Global Slavery Index detailing the plight of estimated 50m people living in slavery, including 41,000 people living in modern slavery in Australia, 6000 in NSW.

In the call to foster responsible businesses practices, the Commissioner designated the key objective being for businesses to show leadership in identifying and addressing modern slavery in supply chains and investment portfolios.

The Commissioner stated that there are hundreds of businesses in NSW that must remove modern slavery from their supply chains. NSW taxpayers may be unwittingly funding modern slavery.

A formal guidance document will be published and, hopefully, endorsed by NSW Procurement Board.

The Commissioner also noted that NSW is already home to world leading business initiatives, like Fair Supply, that provides visibility over modern slavery risk in global supply chains. Fair Supply’s data-driven capabilities, including its advanced modern slavery risk assessment software, were highlighted as an example of the practical tools needed to support meaningful industry action.

The urgency of this call to action was highlighted through keynote, Sophie Otiende, CEO, Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, the world’s largest fund globally to address modern slavery.

She noted that for impacted communities this issue is not modern, it has always been with us - abuse and exploitation - the global economy has been built on the backs of slaves.

The critical theme of survivor permeated the morning and has shaped the Anti-slavery Commissioner’s Strategic Plan.