This week, International Associates Limited attended the ethica26: Human Rights in Supply Chains Leadership Summit Conference on human rights in supply chains, sponsored by Hope for Justice and Slave-Free Alliance. It brought together senior leaders, policymakers, NGOs and survivor advocates for an important and very timely discussion.
The message was clear: modern slavery and forced labour remain a real and ongoing risk in global supply chains, and inaction carries serious consequences. With legislation continuing to tighten internationally, including recent developments in the United States and established frameworks such as France’s Duty of Vigilance law, organisations need to act now rather than wait for pressure to build.
It was encouraging to hear practical examples of positive action across different sectors, from electrical and pharmaceuticals to work supporting more open and transparent cocoa supply chains.
One of the strongest themes from the event was the need to move from policing supply chains to partnering across them, with workers’ voices placed at the centre. Empowered workers remain one of the strongest safeguards.
There was also a useful discussion around how AI can support greater transparency, better risk identification and more informed sourcing decisions.
A powerful question at the close of the conference really stayed with us:
“Are we doing enough to help prevent this?”
