Complying with the UK Modern Slavery Act
On March 26, 2015, the Modern Slavery Act entered into force in the United Kingdom. The act, which aims to restrict the complicity of UK businesses in modern forms of slavery, which include human trafficking, forced labor, and sexual exploitation, applies to companies that carry on a business in the UK and have an annual global turnover of £36 million or more. It requires such companies to publish an annual slavery and human trafficking statement and report on the steps they have taken, if any, to ensure that slavery is not taking place in their business or supply chain. A contributing factor to these supply chain management requirements is the rising importance of human rights due diligence, the process of measuring, reporting, correcting, and addressing the adverse impacts of a company’s business, including its entire supply chain, to proactively prevent human rights violations.
Sompo International Holdings which has a base in the UK undertakes several measures including disclosing an anti-slavery statement on its official website.
