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Leveraging Existing Compliance Programs to Address U.S. Anti-Forced Labor Laws

Financier Worldwide

In this article, author Mary Mikhaeel discusses how companies are utilizing already existing compliance program frameworks to address U.S. anti-forced labor enforcement risks. Human rights enforcement has continued to crystalize into hard law in various jurisdictions around the world, including the U.S., requiring companies to conduct due diligence and publicly report out on their initiatives. "In response to these emerging frameworks, and an observed increasing interest by companies to institutionalize their commitment to respect human rights, companies are prioritizing reframing their compliance programs quickly and effectively to account for human rights risks and are dispensing appropriate and adequate information to internal and external stakeholders on these changes to the company's compliance program," Mikhaeel wrote, adding that "many companies are leveraging compliance principles already embedded within their programs, and as a result, best practices have emerged on how companies can effectively leverage their compliance programs to reflect the company's commitment to respecting human rights through some enhancement, rather than drastic shifts."