The Australian Government continues to lead by example in the fight against modern slavery through the release of a scoping paper on the Commonwealth Modern Slavery Statement.
The Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Jason Wood MP, said the Modern Slavery Act 2018 was the only legislation in the world that required a Government to report on modern slavery risks in its procurement activities.
"The landmark Modern Slavery Act ensures Australia continues to take an international leadership role in eradicating modern slavery in our supply chains and creates a strong foundation for future action," Assistant Minister Wood said.
"The scoping paper explains how the Government will prepare the first Commonwealth Statement and provides an important example of how businesses and other entities can prepare to report under the Modern Slavery Act".
The Commonwealth Modern Slavery Statement will report on modern slavery risks in the Government's procurement and investment activities and explain the steps taken to identify and respond to these risks.
The scoping paper outlines content to be included in the Commonwealth Statement such as the modern slavery risk areas targeted for action and steps the Government is taking to address these risks, comprising its response to risks linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is just one of the many ways we are demonstrating our commitment in the fight against modern slavery in our supply chains".
The first Commonwealth Modern Slavery Statement will cover the 2019-20 Australian Financial Year and will be published before 31 December 2020.
The Commonwealth Modern Slavery Statement scoping paper is available on the Department of Home Affairs website.
