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Commitments & Achievements

Building on past achievements and driving future impacts

Taking Action as Leaders Against Slavery 

Today, as part of the Human Rights Coalition – Working to End Forced Labour, our members have committed to a series of steps that will support the implementation of our resolution and adoption of the Priority Industry Principles.

Coalition members commit to activate and implement the following objectives targeting the eradication of forced labour:

  1. Establish and deploy HRDD systems in our Own Operations with the aim of reaching 100% coverage by 2025.
  2. Activate pre-competitive practices (e.g. roundtable discussions and open source training materials, etc.) to support responsible recruitment markets using the leverage of our own operations and collective engagement in selected geographies / commodities by 2025.
  3. Collaborate with selected suppliers starting with palm oil supply chains to develop and deploy HRDD systems from the refinery to the plantation level by 2023.
  4. Engage relevant stakeholders to enable the adoption and enforcement of measures with governments to eliminate forced labour.
  5. Act with relevant industry, multi-stakeholder groups and inter-governmental organisations to enhance cooperation and share information and resource openly.
  6. Support transparency and disclosure efforts on risks and challenges in addressing forced labour within own operations and associated with supply chains.

Accelerating the Impact of Our Past Achievements

Prior to the launch of the HRC, our members have been long committed to promoting decent working conditions worldwide but recognise that the eradication of forced labour remains a key challenge. This journey began in 2016 with CGF retailer and manufacturer members coming together to drive collaboration globally and thereby address forced labour as one of the most pressing social issues of our time. This commitment was confirmed with the January 2016 announcement of a new, Board-approved Social Resolution on Forced Labour, the first industry commitment of its kind.

This was followed up later in 2016 with the introduction of the Priority Industry Principles, which look to address three of the most problematic, yet often common, employment practices across the world that can lead to cases of forced labour.

“As part of our wider efforts to promote human rights and decent working conditions worldwide, we acknowledge the broad societal problem of modern slavery and we strive to eradicate forced labour from our value chains. As part of our wider efforts to promote decent working conditions worldwide we will harness the power of collective action as an industry group to identify and address issues and geographies of shared concern, enhancing the efficiency of any individual company initiatives in this area”.

The Consumer Goods Forum Board of Directors

Achievements

  • CGF Launches Social Sustainability Initiative and its Forced Labour Resolution

    CGF creates Social Sustainability initiative and the first-ever industry resolution on eradication of forced labour is approved by CGF Board.

  • CGF Board Approves New Priority Industry Principles

    The CGF Board approves new Priority Industry Principles; and CGF attends an event at the Vatican to discuss forced labour challenges.

  • CGF Hosts Partnerships to End Forced Labour in Supply Chains

    CGF co-hosts an event with the International Labour Organization and the US Department of Labor entitled “Partnerships to End Forced Labour in Supply Chains”, ahead of the CGF’s annual flagship event, the Global Summit 2017 in Berlin.

  • CGF Hosts First Responsible Operations and Sourcing Event

    CGF hosts its first Responsible Operations and Sourcing event, supported by AIM-PROGRESS & ELEVATE in Bangkok, Thailand.

  • "Business Actions Against Forced Labour" is Published

    Business Actions Against Forced Labour, a case study booklet showcasing members’ best practices on how they are tackling forced labour, is published for the first time.

  • CGF and IHRB Host Two Regional Roundtables in Bangkok

    Alongside IHRB, the CGF hosts two regional roundtables on responsible recruitment in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Brands, suppliers and recruitment agencies come together to discuss transitioning to an ethical recruitment model.

  • CGF Publishes Guidance on the Priority Industry Principles

    CGF publishes “Guidance on the Priority Industry Principles”, a booklet which provides concrete guidance for the implementation of the Priority Industry Principles, as well as a complete glossary of related terminology.

  • CGF Co-Hosts 2018 Global Forum on Responsible Recruitment and Employment

    CGF co-hosts the 2018 Global Forum on Responsible Recruitment and Employment in Singapore alongside IHRB and launched a call to action, asking businesses worldwide to play their part in ending forced labour and unethical recruitment. The call to action is made alongside the International Labour Organization, the International Organization for Migration, and with the support of the Institute for Human Rights and Business.

  • International Tourism Partnership and Word Egg Organisation Support CGF Work

    The International Tourism Partnership launches its “ITP Principles on Forced Labour”, based on the Priority Industry Principles, and the World Egg Organisation adopts the Resolution on Forced Labour.

  • CGF Publishes New Report with Fair Labor Association

    The CGF commissions a report from the Fair Labor Association (FLA). The report seeks to understand the forced labour risks across the sector in Malaysia and Indonesia and examines the role that consumer goods companies can play in bringing an end to the issue.

  • CGF Co-Hosts Regional Roundtables in Asia

    The CGF was pleased to return to Malaysia and Thailand to co-host a regional roundtable and two sets of governmental dialogue sessions on responsible recruitment in the respective countries, along with a regional roundtable on the subject in Yangon, Myanmar. These events were hosted alongside the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB)‘s Leadership Group for Responsible Recruitment, the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB), the Responsible Labor Initiative, and the International Tourism Partnership. 

  • CGF Co-Hosts Event with the B Team

    The CGF and the B Team hold a special event on forced labour, entitled “Business Leaders and Governments Working to Eradicate Forced Labour”, ahead of the CGF’s flagship event, the Global Summit, in Vancouver, Canada.

  • CGF Launches Human Rights Coalition – Working to End Forced Labour

    Part of the CGF’s new global strategy, the Human Rights Coalition – Working to End Forced Labour is officially announced. The new Coalition is led at the Board level by Emmanuel Faber, Chairman and CEO, Danone, and Olaf Koch, Chairman of the Management Board, METRO AG. At the operational committee-level, the Coalition Co-Chairs are Brent Wilton, The Coca-Cola Company, and Veronika Pountcheva, METRO AG.

  • New Edition of Case Studies Booklet Is Published

    The CGF team revamps the Business Actions Against Forced Labour Booklet and publishes the booklet with new content under the Human Rights Coalition – Working to End Forced Labour brand.

  • The HRC Holds Stakeholder Consultations on Strategic Frameworks

    Taking an important step in the HRC’s development, the HRC launches two, six-week stakeholder consultations on its key strategies to eradicate forced labour: a framework for the implementation of Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) systems in members’ own operations, and its Palm Oil Roadmap, to address forced labour in the sector. The HRC also opens a call for proposals from third-party organisations to help support Coalition members in the implementation of these two strategies on-the-ground.

  • The HRC Launches #SilenceIsUnacceptable Campaign for Human Rights Day 2020

    To mark annual Human Rights Day, the CGF officially launches the Human Rights Coalition – Working to End Forced Labour (HRC) with a message from the Coalition members saying #SilenceIsUnacceptable in the fight against forced labour and its CEO Co-sponsors introducing the Coalition’s objectives.

  • CGF Publishes Joint Statement from HRC and Forest Positive Coalition on Collective Commitment for Human Rights

    The CGF’s Sustainability Director, Didier Bergeret, who oversees the HRC and the Forest Positive Coalition, issues a statement on behalf of both Coalitions about their collective commitment to improving the status of human rights in the palm oil sector.

  • The HRC Publishes Maturity Journey Framework for Forced Labour-Focused HRDD Systems in Own Operations

    The HRC publishes its Forced Labour-focused Human Rights Due Diligence in Own Operations Maturity Journey Framework, the first strategic document from the HRC laying out the aligned actions members will take in their ongoing efforts to fight forced labour. The Framework maps out how HRC members will implement and improve human rights due diligence (HRDD) systems in their own operations to root out and remedy actual and potential risks for forced labour. 

  • HRC Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Fair Labor Association and International Organization for Migration

    The HRC signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This milestone commences a five-year technical collaboration that will help HRC members advance in their objective to help achieve fair and decent working conditions worldwide by driving individual and collective action in their businesses and supply chains to eradicate forced labour.

Download the Forced Labour Resolution in Full
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The call to action was announced by Grant Reid, CEO, Mars, Incorporated during the high level level panel at the 2018 Global Forum on Responsible Recruitment and Employment. 
Business Call to Action

In June 2018, we called upon businesses around the world to play their part in the fight to end all forms of forced labour. Issued during the 2018 Global Forum on Responsible Business and Recruitment, the call to action was made alongside the International Labour Organization, the International Organization for Migration, and with the support of the Institute for Human Rights and Business, and is a strong affirmation of our members’ commitment to strive to eradicate forced labour from global supply chains and continue not to tolerate forced labour within own operations.  

The Consumer Goods Forum Talks to Guy Ryder, ILO

Following his session at the 2018 Global Summit, we interviewed Guy Ryder, Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) who shared further thoughts on the future of work, the protection of workers in this future landscape, Thailand’s recent ratification of the ILO Protocol on Forced Labour, and the CGF’s business call to action just launched at the Global Forum on Responsible Recruitment and Employment. Watch the full video: 

 

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