Improved and increased efforts to combat forced labor in global supply chains are the goal of an expanded partnership the Department of Homeland Security recently announced with a non-governmental organization.
According to a DHS press release, the NGO will provide DHS with documentary evidence to support allegations that forced labor is occurring at manufacturing facilities in countries of interest and help arrange interviews with victims identified in ongoing criminal cases. DHS states that these efforts will enable it to further streamline intelligence, initiate new criminal investigations, and advance ongoing investigations to hold corporations and individual perpetrators accountable for forced labor in their supply chains.
DHS states that partnerships with NGOs and civil society organizations are essential for its efforts to identify corporations using forced labor in their supply chains, advance counter-human trafficking law enforcement operations, protect victims, and enhance prevention efforts, including the first-ever supply chain criminal investigations made possible by this new partnership. DHS adds that the ability of NGOs and CSOs to connect with forced labor victims to gather preliminary information has played a critical role in supporting the department’s criminal investigations of forced labor currently underway around the globe.
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg offers a comprehensive suite of services to help companies address forced labor concerns, including supply chain reviews, due diligence strategies, and proactive remediation. ST&R also maintains a frequently updated web page offering a broad range of information on forced labor-related efforts in the U.S. and around the world. For more information, please contact ST&R at supplychainvisibility@strtrade.com.
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