Nexus Seminar Series N.66 by Dr Katherine Christ

Topic: Modern slavery is a topic that is increasingly gaining global attention. From a business perspective, modern slavery can refer to forced labour, bonded labour (also referred to as debt bondage), some of the worst forms of child labour, and human trafficking. Current estimates suggest there are more than 50 million people enslaved worldwide, with more than 20 million of these victims trapped in forced labour in corporate supply chains. As a result, many of the goods we use every day are effectively tainted; bringing modern slavery much closer than we think. A growing number of legislative developments worldwide are starting to hold businesses accountable for modern slavery risks - both in their direct operations and in supply chains. However, addressing modern slavery presents significant challenges for business. This lecture will provide a detailed overview of modern slavery and how it impacts business organisations. It will consider the management and reporting challenges faced by businesses, where research can help, and why each of us has a role to play in ending modern slavery for good.
Bio: Dr Katherine Christ is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting at UniSA Business. She is an expert in accounting for modern slavery risk in business operations and supply chains, and recently founded the South Australian Modern Slavery Network. Katherine has received funding from CPA Australia and AFAANZ for her research into modern slavery, and was a nominee for a 2021 Themis Financial Crime Prevention Award in the category of Combating Modern Slavery. She has published widely on the topic of modern slavery and sustainability accounting more generally, and regularly contributes to mainstream media on her areas of interest.