Partnering to Prevent and Address Modern Slavery Risks in Southeast Asia

Date and Time

September 22, 2023
10:00 am-12:00 pm Malaysia Time

Location

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Topic

Human Rights

This event will offer a safe space for business practitioners for sharing and discussing current practices and challenges to address and prevent modern slavery risks in Southeast Asia, as well as exploring avenues for collaboration.

BSR will bring insights from its work with companies on this subject including an overview of existing initiatives, gaps and challenges in the region. In particular we will touch upon mainstreaming modern slavery responses in company managements through building buy-in from cross-functional business areas; demystifying human rights due diligence; working collaboratively in partnership with suppliers; workers engagement and the road to remediation.

Through the event we will be exploring and begin to answer the following questions:

• What are the recent and upcoming global development related to business and human rights and modern slavery legislation? What has been and what is likely to be the impact on companies in the region?
• What are already existing good business practices and initiatives (including collaborative initiatives) to address and prevent modern slavery risks?
• What are the new or emerging approaches that seem more promising to support addressing and preventing modern slavery risks, including technology innovations and tools (e.g., workers voices, technology, etc.)?
• Are existing efforts enough? What are the main gaps in the practice, particularly in the prevention of modern slavery risks?
• What next steps could be further explored following the event? What opportunities for collaborative action exist?

High level agenda:

• Setting the scene on global developments and impacts on the companies in the region
• Overview of current efforts and collaborations in the region – how companies are currently working collaboratively and engaging suppliers
• Discussion / workshop to explore gaps, challenges and potential collaborative solutions
• What next steps could be further explored following the event?

Scheduled Speakers

• Claudio Formisano, Global Lead, Human Trafficking and Forced Labor, BSR
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Claudio Formisano
Global Lead, Human Trafficking and Forced Labor, BSR
Paris
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Claudio leads BSR’s portfolio on addressing modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labor. He develops guidance for companies seeking to prevent and mitigate human trafficking and forced labor risks and advances policies to scale impact through BSR’s collaborative initiatives like Tech Against Trafficking, the Global Business Coalition Against Human Trafficking, and Building Responsibly.
He brings 15 years of experience in managing multidisciplinary programs on criminal justice, human rights, and security in multilateral settings. Prior to joining BSR, he worked at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), establishing and leading the Secretariat of the UN Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT). As a senior advisor to the Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), he oversaw country needs assessments in North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
Claudio holds a MA in Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Austria and an Executive Certificate from Harvard JFK School of Government in building and leading diverse organizations. He speaks English, French, and Italian.
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