Use Case: Mapping Forced Labour Risks in Global Supply Chains

Use case

The problem

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs needed reliable, independent information on forced labour risks in global supply chains.

“Which products and sectors carry the highest risk of forced labour, in which geographical areas and how can we support companies and policymakers with clear, evidence-based guidance?”

They sought an approach that would go beyond general narratives and deliver actionable insights based on credible data.

The context

With EU legislation on forced labour (the EU Forced Labour Regulation), governments need to strengthen their own knowledge base and support tools. The Ministry wanted to get an insight what the regulation would mean for Dutch imports.

Our action

With our partner CORE, HUMAN RIGHTS AT WORK developed an in-depth report that:

Mapped forced labour risks across products, sectors, and countries using publicly available and verifiable sources;
Developed a clear methodology to assess severity and prevalence;
Provided recommendations on how companies and governments can use this information for due diligence and policy design.

The result

A robust, evidence-based overview of forced labour risks for nearly fifty product-categories and 160 countries;
A methodology that can be updated over time and serve as a model for future risk assessments;
The report is now used to inform national policy, guide companies in risk prioritisation, and to contribute to discussions at EU level;

https://www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-foreign-affairs/documents/reports/2025/02/28/assessing-forced-labour-risks-in-dutch-imports

Insights

Identifying forced labour risks is challenging looking at the limited data available. We have concluded that risks are in every country, when the products are made by a vulnerable workforce. However, the report helps to make a first prioritization.

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