According to the Global Slavery Index, there were approximately 15,000 people living in “conditions of modern slavery” in Australia in 2016.
Globally it is estimated that there are over 40 million people engaged in Modern Slavery. About two thirds of the global slave trade occurs in the Asia-Pacific. Some of Australia’s biggest trading partners, including China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, are host to some of the most egregious crimes. Which means, that while your internal practices and many of your tier 1 suppliers might clearly display no signs of modern slavery, the probably of finding slavery in your deeper tiers is highly likely. In fact, a survey conducted in 2015 of retailers and their tier 1 suppliers found a 71% likelihood of slavery in their supply chains. If you haven’t identified it yet, it is probably because you are not looking in the right places.
(Ashbridge Centre for Business and Sustainability)
