Thomson Reuters Foundation launches global Stop Slavery Award

Thomson Reuters Foundation has launched the Stop Slavery Award aimed at engaging the world’s biggest companies in the fight against forced labour.

The Stop Slavery Award is the first global accolade to recognise businesses that have excelled in efforts to try to eradicate forced labour from their supply chains.

The award, an artwork by Turner-prize winning artist Anish Kapoor, will aim to demonstrate that businesses can play a critical role in eradicating forced labour and guiding consumer decisions.

“This is a business friendly initiative,” said Thomson Reuters Foundation CEO Monique Villa, founder of the prize.

“The Stop Slavery Award is about rewarding the courage of those businesses that have gone above and beyond to ensure their revenue is not tainted by modern-day slavery.

“At a time when shareholders are increasingly vigilant over the socio-economic footprint of many corporations, the award is an important contribution to ensure that the fight against slavery is perceived both as a human rights priority, and a business imperative.”

Winners of the Stop Slavery Award will be selected by a judging board that includes Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi and global human rights and business expert John Ruggie.

“The public sector can’t tackle human trafficking on its own, corporations must protect the workers who enhance their bottom line,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., who will also sit on the award’s judging board.

“I am honoured to be a part of this effort to recognise [global] companies that are taking proactive steps to examine their supply chains, and working to ensure that their profits do not come at the expense of human rights.”

The Stop Slavery Award will be presented on November 30 during the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s annual women’s rights and anti-trafficking conference ‘Trust Women’.