• Human Rights Due Diligence

• Since the introduction of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act (Cth) in 2018 (Modern Slavery Act), many entities in Australia have begun to assess and address the modern slavery risks within their operations and supply chains.
• However, progress made by business toward assessing and addressing broader adverse human rights impacts in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) is less clear. Some companies in Australia have begun to expand their modern slavery risk management programme to include broader human rights impacts, but there is still much work to be done to advance these activities across all sectors and companies of different sizes.

This publication represents efforts to support that alignment. It builds on the previous 2023 edition and includes:

• Updated analysis of the evolving business and human rights legislative and policy landscape
• Updated review of ASX50 companies' reporting on human rights due diligence beyond freedom from modern slavery
• NEW Deep-dive on building internal buy-in for human rights due diligence
• NEW Featured case studies from UNGCNA participants GPT Group, Optus, Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) and Westpac.

Authors

• Julia Bourke, Senior Coordinator, Programs, UN Global Compact Network Australia
• Catie Shavin, Senior Manager, Business and Human Rights, UN Global Compact Network Australia
• Vanessa Zimmerman, Chair, Business and Human Rights Technical Advisory Group and Co-Chair, Modern Slavery Community of Practice, UN Global Compact Network Australia; CEO, Pillar Two
• Riana Cermak, Associate Director, Pillar Two
• Elise Milroy, Advisor, Pillar Two