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Article

27 Jun 2014

Author:
[comment] Mark Lagon, former US anti-human-trafficking ambassador, in Guardian (UK)

Modern slavery will continue if corporations keep passing the buck

It makes good business sense for companies to actively pursue an ethical supply chain. Philanthropy...is not enough...[Many] executives assume that tracing labour conditions in their supply chains is futile and prohibitively costly. Yet if the Guardian can do it, the business community surely can – and must...[B]usinesses must actively be part of the solution...[and live] by the equivalent of the Hippocratic Oath – at least do no harm...Businesses in one sector can collaborate...[or] across sectors, like Microsoft, Ford, Delta Airlines, Hilton Hotels, Coca-Cola, and others do in the Global Business Coalition Against Human Trafficking...[These] businesses act...[because] they have tangible interests at stake. The first is reputational...A second interest lies with shareholders...Third, employees will be more active ambassadors...if they can be proud of [their company]... Finally...customers...will reward companies genuinely seeking to reduce [human trafficking]... [also refers to Patagonia, Walmart, ManpowerGroup]