Submission to National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020-24

The Australian Government is developing a National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020‑24, which builds on Australia’s current efforts under the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and Slavery 2015-2019. The Government published a Consultation Paper and provided the business community, civil society and academia to help co-design a 2020-24 Plan that will drive Australia’s efforts to combat modern slavery over the next five years. The submission by Justine Nolan and myself can be found below.

Our key recommendations:

  1. The Government should bolster the Modern Slavery Act by introducing sanctions for non-compliance, mandate and provide guidance on human rights due diligence and by creating the post of National Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner;
  2. The Government should “name and shame” entities that do not comply with the Modern Slavery Act, as well as entities that are found to have modern slavery in their supply chain;
  3. The Government should update its procurement policies to follow international best-practice, and provide additional training to procurement officers;
  4. The Government should leverage the impact of public spending by creating a procurement connected policy concerning modern slavery;
  5. The Government should prepare for an increase in modern slavery survivors being referred to authorities by creating adequate support structures based on international best practice;
  6. The Government should include two additional goals which focus on the nexus between climate change and gender with modern slavery.
  7. The Government should facilitate the creation of decent jobs, address wage theft, remove barriers for organised labour, and increase resources for the Fair Work Ombudsman;
  8. The Government should create an anti-slavery helpline and geographically plot calls to reveal hotspots across Australia.

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