GRI 409: Forced or Compulsory Labour 2016

Contains disclosures for organizations/companies to report information about their impacts related to forced or compulsory labour.

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Written by Robin Sigl
Updated over a week ago
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GRI 409: Forced or Compulsory Labour 2016

Contains disclosures for organizations to report information about their impacts related to forced or compulsory labor, and how they manage these impacts 💥.

The Standard is structured as follows:

  • Section 1 contains a requirement, which provides information about how the organization manages its impacts related to forced or compulsory labor.

  • Section 2 contains one disclosure, which provides information about the organization’s impacts related to forced or compulsory labor.

  • The Glossary contains defined terms with a specific meaning when used in the GRI Standards. The terms are underlined in the text of the GRI Standards and linked to the definitions.

  • The Bibliography lists authoritative intergovernmental instruments used in developing this Standard.

The rest of the Introduction section provides a background on the topic, an overview of the system of GRI Standards, and further information on using this Standard.

Background on the topic

This Standard addresses the topic of forced or compulsory labor.

Not being subjected to forced or compulsory labor is a fundamental human right. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 29 ‘Forced Labour Convention’, forced or compulsory labor is defined as ‘all work or

service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.

Forced and compulsory labor affects all world regions, countries, and economic sectors, and includes workers in both formal and informal employment. Some of the most common forms of forced labor include forced labor in prisons (except for prisoners who have been convicted in a court of law, and whose labor is under the supervision and control of a public authority), human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor, coercion in employment, forced labor linked to the exploitative labor contract systems, and debt-induced forced labor, also known as ‘debt-bondage’ or ‘bonded labor’.

The victims are most likely from groups subject to discrimination or performing work on an informal or precarious basis. This can include women and girls forced into prostitution, migrants trapped in debt bondage, and sweatshops or farm workers, among other groups.

Due diligence is expected of an organization in order to prevent and combat all forms of forced or compulsory labor in its activities. It is also expected to avoid contributing to or becoming linked to the use of forced or compulsory labor through its relationships with others (e.g., suppliers, and clients).

These concepts are covered in key instruments of the ILO, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the United Nations: see the Bibliography.

To learn more about GRI 409: Forced or Compulsory Labour 2016, click the button below to download the complete version 👇.

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