Understanding and addressing labour exploitation in supply chains is a significant challenge.
The Alliance 8.7 Action Group on Supply Chains advances collaboration and progress towards the elimination of child labour, forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking by bringing together over 250 partners—including governments, workers’ and employers' organizations, civil society, international organizations, and academia—to tackle these critical issues within supply chains. The Action Group is chaired by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and led by a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee.
A report from the Action Group found that child labour and forced labour are most prevalent in domestic supply chains, while global exports also account for a significant share of these exploitative practices. Depending on the region, between 9 to 26 percent of child labour and 4 to 17 percent of trafficking for forced labour are linked to global exports.
To drive meaningful change, the Action Group has identified four key priorities: advancing research to better understand these issues, strengthening policy coherence and advocacy, enhancing cooperation on capacity building, and accelerating action in key sectors such as cocoa, coffee, cotton, fishing, and mining. Addressing these concerns at scale requires collaboration among all stakeholders, from governments and multinational enterprises to smallholders, trade unions, and civil society organizations.
In this video, Laurel Hoffner from the International Labour Organization (ILO) discusses the role of the Supply Chains Action Group in advancing the goals of Alliance 8.7. She explores the challenges of addressing labour exploitation in supply chains, the group's key achievements, and the most critical areas for action moving forward.
Watch the video to learn more about the ongoing efforts to eliminate child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking in supply chains and how collective action can drive real impact.