ALEXANDRIA Va., Jan. 12, 2021 -- The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) today announced the release of its Responsible Recruitment Due Diligence Toolkit to further support members of the RBA and its Responsible Labor Initiative (RLI), as well as their supply chain partners, with practical guidance and tools to prevent forced labor in their supply chains. This toolkit is focused on building the capacity of workplaces to actively engage and monitor their labor recruitment partners, which is a critical component of credible due diligence in this area.
The framework used in the Toolkit is adopted from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct. Each chapter in the Toolkit provides detailed recommendations and instructions for successful implementation of each process, including:
- Embedding responsible recruitment principles into policies and management systems
- Identifying and assessing risks of forced labor in recruitment
- Preventing and mitigating identified risks
- Tracking implementation and results
- Communicating how risks are addressed
- Providing access to remedy and remediation
“The RBA is at the forefront of helping companies conduct due diligence, risk assessments, audits and corrective actions to improve conditions in their supply chains,” said Rob Lederer, Chief Executive Officer of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). “The Responsible Recruitment Due Diligence Toolkit is another great opportunity for RBA and RLI members to implement best practices in their supply chains and prevent forced labor.”
The Toolkit was created with support from Apple and the United Nations migration agency, International Organization for Migration (IOM). It was developed in consultation with RBA and RLI members, their suppliers, and recruitment agencies, and draws on existing literature on forced labor and responsible recruitment and emerging cases of best practices.
About the Responsible Business Alliance
The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) is a nonprofit coalition of leading companies dedicated to improving social, environmental and ethical conditions in their global supply chains. The RBA has a Code of Conduct and a range of programs, training and assessment tools to support continual improvement. The organization has a global footprint, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. The RBA and its Responsible Minerals, Labor and Factory Initiatives have nearly 400 members with combined annual revenues of greater than $7.7 trillion, directly employing over 21.5 million people, with products manufactured in more than 120 countries. For more information, visit ResponsibleBusiness.org and follow @RBAllianceOrg.
About the Responsible Labor Initiative
The Responsible Labor Initiative (RLI), an Initiative of the Responsible Business Alliance, is a multi-industry, multi-stakeholder initiative focused on respecting and promoting the rights of workers vulnerable to forced labor in global supply chains. The RLI’s mission is that its members, suppliers, partners and stakeholders use their collective influence and application of due diligence to drive the transformation of recruitment markets, reduce the risk of forced labor and provide remedy in global supply chains at all stages of recruitment and employment. For more information, visit ResponsibleLabor.org
Media Contact:
Jarrett Bens, Director of Communications
Responsible Business Alliance
Phone: +1 571.858.5721
jbens@responsiblebusiness.org
