The ILO Helpdesk is a service from the International Labour Organization that provides a one-stop-shop to help company managers and workers understand the application of international labour standards.

  2022 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Children’s Rights and Business Principles developed jointly by UNICEF, UN Global Compact and Save the Children in consultation with children, businesses, investors, governments, civil society, trade unions, national human rights institutions and United Nations entities. The joint Brief “Charting the Course: Embedding children’s rights in responsible business conduct” summarizes the findings of a more detailed forthcoming report by the three organizations and aims to chart the course for the coming years. Impact at scale is yet to be achieved to put child rights at the heart of corporate sustainability, the time has come to raise the bar towards making business fit for children.

Guides companies around the world to better understand and address human rights impacts in their operations and supply chains. Users can access in-depth analysis of key human rights issues, due diligence recommendations, as well as case studies illustrating how other businesses have responsibly addressed human rights impacts.

Developed by the United Nations Global Compact, UNICEF and Save the Children – the Children’s Rights and Business Principles are the first comprehensive set of principles to guide companies on the full range of actions they can take in the workplace, marketplace and community to respect and support children’s rights. While the business and human rights agenda has evolved significantly in recent years, a child rights perspective has not yet been explicitly addressed. (https://childrenandbusiness.org/)

Examines how companies can navigate complex multi-tiered supply chains and their associated challenges as part of their efforts to advance decent work in their global supply chains. While multi-tier supply chains have the advantage of driving efficiency, reducing planning cycle lead times and reducing possible business disruptions, they also increase the risk of causing or contributing to human rights impacts and decent work deficits, particularly in the lower tiers of the chain. This is exacerbated in a crisis situation such as a pandemic, where workers’ rights and conditions may be compromised and income threatened as a result of order cancellations, factory shut-downs, or layoffs. This report seeks to guide multinational enterprises in reducing global supply chain vulnerabilities and provides proactive measures companies can take and best practice examples to draw inspiration from.

Provides the first ever estimates of child labour and human trafficking in global supply chains. A significant share of child labour and human trafficking in global supply chains occurs at lower tiers, in activities such as raw material extraction and agriculture, making due diligence, visibility and traceability challenging. The report outlines several key areas in which governments and businesses can do more. It underscores the critical role of States in addressing gaps in statutory legislation, enforcement, and access to justice and in establishing a framework for responsible business conduct. For business, the report underscores the need for a comprehensive, whole-of-supply-chain approach to due diligence.

This guidance identifies the main improvements required for gender-sensitive social auditing and provides recommendations, practical advice, and relevant examples on how to effectively integrate gender considerations into audits.

Provides a list of concrete actions that different stakeholder groups — including business, the investor community, Governments, the UN and civil society — can take to scale up business action and investment in high-risk areas. It also provides an overview of eight multi-stakeholder initiatives that support stakeholders in scaling up these actions.

The Interactive Map for Business of Anti-Human Trafficking Organisations includes information on the organisations that work with the business sector to combat modern slavery. It is a resource for companies to navigate emerging partners, to improve coordination on the eradication of human trafficking and a baseline from which existing and newly formed initiatives move forward fight against human trafficking. The Interactive Map has been developed through the collaboration of the Global Business Coalition Against Human Trafficking, the RESPECT Initiative (consisting of Babson College Initiative on Human Trafficking, the International Organisation for Migration, and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime) and the UN Global Compact through the Action Platform on Decent Work in Global Supply Chains, with the support from the Alliance 8.7.

Decent Work cannot exist where modern slavery and child labour persist. Forced labour, modern slavery and child labour are complex problems associated with poverty, governance failures and inequalities in the global labour market. Tackling them requires a massive international effort, involving Governments, businesses, civil society organizations, trade unions and international bodies. This brief guide, developed as part of the Decent Work in Global Supply Chains Action Platform, offers a quick overview of the steps businesses can take to help eliminate modern slavery, while highlighting key resources, initiatives and engagement opportunities to support business action.

Forced labour is ubiquitous in global supply chains. This webinar showcases approaches to some of the challenges, including; how to respond to risks in different countries and lower tiers of supply chains; how to work effectively with suppliers and enable workers to exercise their rights; and how to ensure meaningful transparency to investors in line with regulatory requirements. This webinar shares good practice examples from KnowTheChain, the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark and the UK Modern Slavery Act Registry, with a focus on worker voice, recruitment and remedy. Speakers from H&M and Intel shared a corporate perspective on addressing the many dilemmas associated with forced labour in supply chains.

Detailed description of the SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) with introductory remarks from the ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder.