Further to last year’s launch, and to help organisations tackle the worldwide scourge of modern slavery, overwhelming global support has now been secured for BS 25700 (Organizational responses to modern slavery – Guidance) to become an international standard. This is an important step towards sharing good practice and potentially saving many lives.
Shockingly, 50 million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, according to the latest ILO Global Estimates of Modern Slavery. This is a significant rise of 10 million people over the previous five years. Modern slavery occurs in almost every country in the world, with women and children disproportionately vulnerable.
Following a ballot of National Standards Bodies within ISO, the vote was overwhelmingly in favour
Across the globe, protecting increasing numbers of vulnerable workers requires an urgent growth in responsible business practice and OSH-delivery, using BS 25700 and ISO 45001 principles to support decent work. OSH must be actively promoted as a fundamental right and integral to the SDGs via networks, such as the WHO, ILO, ISSA, UN Global Compact, and the Commonwealth Foundation.
Following the 2022 publication of the pioneering standard BS 25700 (Organizational responses to modern slavery – Guidance), BSI was pleased to propose it to ISO as the basis for an international standard. Following a ballot of National Standards Bodies within ISO, the vote was overwhelmingly in favour of this. A new ISO Work Group (ISO TC 309/WG10) has now been established to start work on this important new standard, which will be designated ISO 37200.
Richard Jones CFIOSH is a member of BSI committee G/1/3) and is former head of policy at IOSH