A coalition of businesses, investors, unions, civil society organisations, academics, and survivor advocates is calling on the Australian Government to strengthen Australia's modern slavery legislation and better support businesses to identify, prevent, and address human rights abuses within their operations and supply chains.
Led by the UN Global Compact Network Australia (UNGCNA), more than 100 signatories have joined the call for reforms to Australia's Modern Slavery Act, arguing that stronger legislation is needed to keep pace with international standards and effectively tackle modern slavery risks.
Why Reform Is Needed
Modern slavery remains a significant global challenge, affecting an estimated 50 million people worldwide through practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, human trafficking, and forced marriage.
Australia's Modern Slavery Act, introduced in 2018, was an important step forward in increasing transparency around human rights risks in business operations and supply chains. However, three years have passed since an independent review of the legislation recommended a series of reforms designed to strengthen its effectiveness.
Many of these recommendations are yet to be implemented.
The coalition argues that the current reporting-based approach does not go far enough and that stronger requirements are needed to drive meaningful action and improve outcomes for workers and vulnerable communities.
Supporting Responsible Business
Importantly, advocates for reform emphasise that stronger legislation is not simply about increasing compliance obligations.
Effective modern slavery laws can help businesses better understand risks, improve supply chain management, strengthen stakeholder trust, and contribute to more resilient and ethical business practices.
Clear legislative requirements can also create a more level playing field, ensuring that responsible businesses are not disadvantaged compared with organisations that fail to address human rights risks adequately.
A Collective Call for Action
The coalition behind the call for reform represents a diverse range of perspectives, including major businesses, investors, trade unions, human rights organisations, academics, and individuals with lived experience of modern slavery.
Despite their different backgrounds, the signatories share a common message: Australia has an opportunity to strengthen its response to modern slavery and ensure that businesses play a meaningful role in protecting human rights.
With global supply chains becoming increasingly complex and international expectations continuing to evolve, supporters argue that the time for reform is now.
The growing coalition calling for reform demonstrates that support for stronger modern slavery laws extends across business, investment, civil society, academia, and survivor communities. Meaningful action is needed to better protect people from exploitation and strengthen human rights outcomes throughout global supply chains.
