Lessons Learned From The Last 25 Years of Anti-trafficking and Forced Labour Governance: Private Power and Public Policy

Authors

• Genevieve LeBaron, School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University
• Janie A. Chuang, American University Washington College of Law

Abstract

Twenty-five years after adopting the United Nations Trafficking Protocol, anti-trafficking scrutiny is finally being brought to bear on forced labour in global supply chains. This article identifies and examines key aspects of the contemporary governance regime developed to address this endemic problem: corporate social initiatives and transparency legislation, human rights due diligence laws, strategic litigation, and forced labour import bans. As explored in this article, the interplay between public and private governance these interventions entail has a significant impact on whether workers ultimately benefit from these efforts. More specifically, the rise of corporate power and influence within this regulatory space risks undermining the potential for these interventions to prompt meaningful change in the business practices that enable, and even encourage, severe exploitation in global supply chains.

Recommended Citation

LeBaron, Genevieve and Chuang, Janie A. (2026) "Lessons Learned From The Last 25 Years of Anti-trafficking and Forced Labour Governance: Private Power and Public Policy," Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal: Vol. 46: Iss. 2, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60082/2819-2567.1135
Available at: https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/cllpj/vol46/iss2/3

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