USCIB had a strong and active presence at the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) technical meeting on Achieving Decent Work in Global Supply Chains in Geneva, February 25-28. USCIB Vice President for Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Gabriella Rigg Herzog, as well several USCIB members, represented U.S. business at the meeting.

This was the third meeting on the topic of decent work in global supply chains, a project which was launched at the 2016 ILO International Labor Conference. The purpose of this recent meeting was to assess the failures that lead to decent work deficits in global supply chains and identify the salient challenges of governance to achieving decent work in global supply chains. The meeting also considered the types of guidance, programs, measures, initiatives or standards that are necessary to promote decent work and/or facilitate reducing decent work deficits in global supply chains.

“Employers welcome the opportunity for constructive collaboration between the private sector, governments and workers to find lasting solutions to decent work deficits in supply chains,” said Herzog.  “Employers emphasized that companies must comply with the law, respect human and labor rights and should use their leverage to push business partners to do the same.  However, systematic issues like child labor, forced labor, discrimination and disrespect for occupational safety standards cannot be solved by any one business or the business community as a whole.  Employers encouraged collaboration among all social partners to increase governmental capacity to pass, implement and enforce labor laws that adhere to international standards.