INTHEBLACK July/August 2023 - Magazine - Page 26
F E AT U R E
International Labour Organization, Walk Free and the International Organization for Migration
One in every 150 people are trapped in modern slavery
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In Australia, legislation that focuses
solely on modern slavery is still relatively
new. Since 1 January 2019, more than
3000 organisations based or operating
in Australia – with a consolidated revenue
of more than A$100 million – have been
required to report annually. Their reports are
required to discuss the risks of modern slavery
practices in their operations and supply chains
under Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018.
While the Act has been welcomed as
a critical step towards positive change,
more than three years into its operation,
there is still room for improvement.
Many companies are still failing to report,
identify obvious modern slavery risks
in their supply chains and take action
to address them when identified.
The notion of taking serious action
to eradicate modern slavery is gathering
momentum across the world, Christ says.
A combination of enforcement and
penalties, public education and pressure
on business from investors is needed.
26 INTHEBLACK July/August 2023
“There may be businesses that ultimately
want to do the right thing, but it’s a steep
learning curve. We also have businesses
that are disinterested and that are going to
completely ignore the Act, because at the
moment there are no mechanisms to force
them to comply with it,” she says.
ENFORCING THE LAW
A statutory review of the Act was announced
on 31 March 2022. The review is now in
progress under Professor John Millen AO,
supported by the Australian Border Force.
An issues paper for the review was released
in November 2022.
The Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2018
Terms of Reference notes that the review
is looking at “whether it is necessary or
desirable for an independent body, such as
an Anti-Slavery Commissioner, to oversee
the implementation of the Act and/or the
enforcement of the Act”.
Other matters are also under consideration,
such as whether additional measures to