World Vision welcomes PM’s anti-slavery commitment

Friday, March 8, 2013

After years of lobbying the government to change the Commonwealth procurement laws to eradicate modern slavery from the supply chain, World Vision today welcomes the Prime Minister's commitment to that process.

World Vision Australia's adviser on trafficking-in-persons Melissa Stewart said the Commonwealth was the biggest purchaser of goods and services in Australia and could use its economic power to eliminate forced and child labour from supply chains. Ms Stewart made a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade last year calling on the government to implement ethical procurement practices to combat these crimes and welcomed the announcement.

“This is a progressive initiative and we welcome the leadership of the government in understanding this issue,” Ms Stewart said. “The government is putting its economic influence to work in combating these crimes.”

Prime Minister Julia Gillard this morning announced no goods or services anywhere in the Commonwealth supply chain would be tainted by slavery or people-trafficking.

Ms Stewart said the government should also ensure Australian businesses dealing with the Commonwealth report on their efforts to clean up their supply chain prior to government contracts being awarded. “The government joins a number of other jurisdictions in realising the enormous impact that a government can have, both on a practical level and on a symbolic level, by putting pressure on businesses to report on what is happening and to take a closer look at not only their first tier suppliers but also at their second tier and third tier subcontractors and suppliers.”

The Government is the biggest consumer in the country, spending over $29 billion a year on goods and services. World Vision recognises that tightening legislation on public procurement to only purchase from businesses that have taken meaningful action to avoid using forced, child or trafficked labour is a significant way in which Australia can reduce its impact on exploitation and encourage more ethical business standards.

Ms Stewart said the next step would be to introduce legislation and regulative mechanisms to prevent any Australian businesses profiting from child or forced labour.

“Continued funding for innovative regional programming to prevent and respond to this issue is critical,” Ms Stewart said. “But I would also encourage the government to appoint a suitably-qualified Ambassador for Trafficking in Persons to engage with the international community and promote Australian leadership on this issue.

"New laws and policies are being developed at the international level as we speak; we must ensure that Australia plays a key role in shaping a slave-free world.”

World Vision Australia is implementing several anti-trafficking programs in the Asia-Pacific and around the globe, including the AusAID funded Project Childhood and End Trafficking in Persons Programme.

Child labour, Australian Government, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Julia Gillard, Slavery

Back to all Results