The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) have released the third edition of Combating Forced Labour: A Handbook for Employers and Business. This practical guide helps companies identify, prevent, mitigate and account for actual and potential forced labour impacts in operations and supply chains operations and supply chains, and support employers' organizations to help their members in these efforts.
Forced labour affects more than 27 million people worldwide, cutting across borders, sectors and supply chains. The handbook is grounded in international labour standards, including the ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) and its 2014 Protocol, and draws on internationally recognized frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy.
What's inside the handbook?
- An overview of forced labour: what it is, its global scale, relevant international instruments, why it must be prevented and eliminated, and why companies should take action.
- Step-by-step practical guidance and tools to implement human rights due diligence (HRDD) for forced labour, structured around five key steps:
- Step 1: Commit and embed practices to prevent and eliminate forced labour.
- Step 2: Identify, assess and prioritize actual or potential forced labour impacts.
- Step 3: Take action on actual or potential forced labour impacts (including enabling remedy).
- Step 4: Track effectiveness of implementation of measures.
- Step 5: Communicate how actual or potential forced labour impacts are addressed.
- How can Employers' and Business Membership Organizations (EBMOs) can support their members in conducting due diligence.
Who is this for?
The primary audience for this handbook includes companies (management, human resources, procurement, legal, compliance, and sustainability officers); EBMOs; industry associations; multi-stakeholder platforms supporting responsible business conduct (RBC); and other third-parties involved in human rights due diligence of companies.
This handbook supports companies in translating international labour standards into concrete action. By using the ILO's 11 indicators of forced labour as a basis, it provides celar guidance for due diligence to prevent and address forced labour. We are confident that it will serve as a practical and valuable resource for companies
Andrea Davila, Coordinator of the ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour.
The real value of this handbook is its practicality and clarity for business. By combining IOE and ILO expertise, it turns a challenging topic into actionable guidance for companies to navigate risks and take meaningful action. By outlining how to effectively support their members, the handbook also acknowledges the critical contribution of EBMOs to the fight against forced Labour.
Jason Pegat-Toquet, IOE Adviser.
First published in 2008 and updated in 2015, the handbook remains a key resource for companies, industry associations and multi-stakeholder platforms committed to responsible business conduct.
