OSCE holds workshop on importance of public procurement, transparency and labour regulations in fighting trafficking in human beings in supply chains
Vienna, 27 November 2017 – A two-day workshop on the “Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings in Supply Chains through Government Practices and Measures” concluded on 24 November in Geneva, Switzerland. Organized by the OSCE with the support of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Switzerland, the workshop gathered over 50 participants, including representatives from 18 governments as well as international experts specialized in the fight against child and forced labour and human trafficking.
The workshop focused on sharing best practices and government measures aimed at preventing forced labour and human trafficking for labour exploitation in supply chains. Emphasis was placed on the role of private as well as public entities to ensure respect of human rights in the sphere of public procurement.
Opening the event, Deputy Director-General for Management and Reform at the ILO, Mr. Greg Vines, reminded participants that 24.9 million people worldwide are currently subjected to forced labour, with profits from the practice amounting to 150 billion dollars. Europe and Central Asia are among the regions with the second highest profits after the Asia-Pacific.
“There is hope in the fight against trafficking in supply chains if we all take up our responsibilities and if the evolving reality on the ground is taken into account and understood in order to provide the appropriate answer,” stated Ambassador Valentin Zellweger, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva.
Welcoming the G20 Leaders’ Declaration of July 2017 aimed at achieving sustainable and inclusive supply chains, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova, emphasized that governments of OECD countries are some of the largest purchasers of goods and services, and that G20 countries make up 70% of world trade. She acknowledged the progress made by many OSCE participating States in adopting legislation aimed at eliminating and preventing exploitation and trafficking of human beings in supply chains.
“We cannot stop at policy, but also have to focus on practice and implementation” said Amol Mehra, Executive Director of the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable.
Yann Wyss, Senior Public Affairs Manager, Social & Environmental Impact, Nestlé S.A. gave examples of concrete steps taken by this large multi-national company to prevent and eliminate child labour in their complex global supply chains.
During three breakout sessions participants discussed the impact of fair labour recruitment, public procurement, and transparency policies and regulations in preventing labour exploitation in supply chains. The results of these sessions will enable government officials and policy-makers of both the public and private sectors to further develop and implement effective measures to prevent human trafficking in supply chains.
The workshop was the fifth in a series of workshops held under an OSCE extra-budgetary project, financially supported by the governments of Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the USA. ienna,