A new report from the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has raised significant concerns about the effectiveness of the UK’s current approach to preventing forced labour in international supply chains. Despite existing legislation and international commitments, the Committee found that goods linked to forced labour continue to enter the UK market.
Key Findings Relevant to Supply Chain and Procurement Professionals
The report, Forced Labour in UK Supply Chains, highlights that the UK’s voluntary approach to corporate due diligence and transparency reporting is no longer sufficient to address the scale and complexity of the issue. The Committee concluded that:
- Existing transparency requirements under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 are inconsistently applied and rarely enforced.
- Mandatory human rights due diligence (mHRDD) is needed to create a level playing field and ensure responsible companies are not commercially disadvantaged.
- The UK risks falling behind international counterparts, including the EU and the US, which are implementing stronger due diligence and import control measures.
The report also outlined specific sectors at heightened risk of exposure to forced labour, including electronics, garments, seafood, renewable energy components, and critical minerals. In several of these sectors, complex supply networks and limited traceability have made risk identification particularly challenging.
Recommendations Likely to Influence Future Policy
The Committee made a series of recommendations that could impact businesses operating in or supplying to the UK. These include:
- Introducing legislation within 12 months to establish:
- A ban on importing or selling goods linked to forced labour;
- Mandatory human rights due diligence for UK businesses;
- A “duty to prevent” that enables civil liability where companies fail to take reasonable steps;
- Enforcement powers and clear resourcing for oversight bodies.
- Strengthening Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act by removing the provision allowing companies to report “no action taken” and expanding its scope to include public sector bodies.
- Improving government coordination across departments and appointing clear leadership to address forced labour in supply chains.
Implications for Achilles Customers
For organisations already using Achilles to gain visibility into their supply chains and demonstrate responsible sourcing, these findings affirm the importance of proactive supplier engagement, traceability, and verified due diligence. As regulatory expectations increase, structured approaches to mapping, monitoring, and auditing suppliers will become more critical.
Achilles continues to work with both buying organisations and suppliers to support the kind of robust data collection, document verification, and ethical assurance the Committee and other stakeholders are now calling for.
What’s Next?
While the government has yet to commit to new legislation, it has acknowledged weaknesses in the current framework and signalled openness to reform. Businesses operating in the UK should monitor developments closely and consider how they would respond to enhanced due diligence or import ban requirements, particularly in high-risk sectors.
- Read the full report here.
- Get in touch to learn more about how Achilles can support your supply chain due diligence objectives.
