The Ethical Trading Initiative’s recommended approach to due diligence is holistic, inclusive, cost-effective and drives not only better outcomes for workers but also better business because:
It calls for an active process based on discovery, understanding and action, rather than relying on more passive systems based on compliance;
It builds internal knowledge and skill, rather than outsourcing intelligence and risk management;
It delivers better analysis of risks and impacts because it draws on wide range of stakeholders to provide information on where problems exist;
It enables better decision-making because those that are most directly affected will help to identify the most effective solutions to tackle the problems;
Lasting and meaningful change happens when all the critical actors have a say in what should be done and take responsibility for ensuring it happens;
Companies that reflect their efforts to tackle root causes and collaborative solutions in their human rights and modern slavery reporting will be better able to stand up to scrutiny by the media, NGOs, trade unions, consumers and investors.
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