Forced Labour Risks in Aluminium: How ASI is Driving Mitigation Efforts

27 November 2024

Forced labour and human rights risks remain a persistent global challenge, deeply entrenched in certain supply chains. While no Standard system can offer a guarantee of entities certified against its criteria as being completely free from labour violations, ASI is committed to identifying and mitigating these risks. Through its related Performance Standard criteria, assurance and training workflows and grievance mechanism, ASI supports responsible supply chains and contributes to the fight against forced labour.

Here are some key elements of ASI’s approach:

1. Embedding Forced Labour Criteria in the Performance Standard

ASI’s Performance Standard integrates robust criteria to address forced labour and broader human rights risks:

• Human Rights Due Diligence (Criterion 9.1): Aligns with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to ensure companies assess and address human rights impacts.
• Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (Criterion 9.8): Follows OECD Guidance to prevent exploitation in regions prone to conflict.
• Forced Labour (Criterion 10.3): Explicitly requires entities to avoid practices such as human trafficking, debt bondage, and unreasonable restrictions on workers’ freedoms. Companies must also disclose a modern slavery statement.

 

2. Strengthening Supply Chain Oversight

ASI’s Chain of Custody (CoC) Certification ensures every link in the supply chain meets ASI’s standards. By requiring suppliers to conduct due diligence on their own sourcing, ASI creates a ripple effect, driving accountability throughout the chain.

 

3. Equipping Auditors with Modern Slavery Expertise

In 2023, ASI introduced a mandatory modern slavery training for all auditors. Developed with experts at BSR, this course ensures auditors are equipped to identify forced labour risks effectively.

 

4. Enhanced Assurance Oversight

ASI goes beyond standard third-party audits by implementing direct oversight mechanisms:

• Pre-audit risk assessments: Identifying risk factors, such as a high presence of migrant or short-term workers, which trigger more rigorous audits and expanded engagement with workers to gain deeper insights into workplace conditions.
• Witness assessments: ASI team members shadow auditors to ensure consistency and rigour.

 

5. Transparent Reporting

Transparency is a cornerstone of ASI’s certification process. Certification reports and findings are publicly available from our website, allowing stakeholders to review the results of audits.

 

6. Grievance Mechanisms in Practice

ASI maintains an accessible and responsive grievance mechanism, providing a platform for workers, communities, and other stakeholders to raise concerns and seek remedies.

 

A Step Towards Labour Justice

While forced labour is complex and challenging to eliminate entirely, ASI’s approach is to leverage standards, oversight, and collaboration to make meaningful progress. By embedding forced labour criteria, ensuring supply chain accountability, and equipping auditors with specialised training, ASI contributes to creating more transparent and responsible supply chains.

 

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