Tackling modern slavery head-on

PERTH, Australia, Aug. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The hidden, hugely profitable crime of modern slavery will be tackled head-on with practical, regional solutions driven by business and government, global business leaders said in Perth today.

Australian Foreign Minister, The Hon Julie Bishop MP and Business Co-Chair, Andrew Forrest AO addresses the media at the Bali Process Government and Business Forum in Perth.

On the eve of the inaugural Bali Process Government and Business Forum, business leaders gathered at The University of Western Australia (UWA) to discuss the complex challenges of modern slavery in the Indo Pacific region in the 21^st century. Following a keynote address by Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, the Australian Business Co-Chair of the Forum, Mr Andrew Forrest AO led a group of panelists to explore the nature of the crime, and implications and responses for the business sector. The lecture was hosted by the Perth USAsia Centre, in conjunction with the Walk Free Foundation, UWA and Rio Tinto.

Mr Forrest said regional collaboration, across sectors, was the only way to infiltrate the complex web of criminal activity that caused the suffering of tens of millions of people. "This is the first year of the Bali Process Government and Business Forum, and we have more than 30 companies and businesses coming together to strategise, partner and tackle these issues like no other forum has done before," he said. "Two-thirds of the estimated 46 million people trapped in slavery are in the Indo Pacific region -- the hideous practices of modern slavery are on Australia's door step as well as in our country, as the majority of supply chains bringing us the goods we purchase and consume come through the region."

Dr Eddy Sariaatmadja, Chairman of the Emtek Group and Indonesia's Business Co-Chair of the Forum, said of modern slavery: "It involves source countries, transit countries and destination countries. It therefore needs a regional solution, which is where the Bali Process comes in." 

Previously a regional governmental initiative, the Bali Process has expanded to include the private sector. The Bali Process Government and Business Forum bring together Bali Process Ministers and senior private sector leaders from the Indo Pacific region to exchange views on ways to prevent, combat and ultimately eradicate modern slavery.

Walk Free Foundation

The Walk Free Foundation is an international human rights organisation with a mission to end modern slavery in our generation. The Walk Free Foundation was founded by Andrew and Nicola Forrest and encompasses their vision to end modern slavery globally. Seed funded by the Forrests' philanthropic vehicle the Minderoo Foundation, the initiative provides the information and capabilities required for countries to defeat slavery in their jurisdictions.

https://www.walkfreefoundation.org/

For further information, please contact:

Jannette Cotterell
+61-473-333-302
jcotterell@minderoo.com.au 

Tania Hudson
+61-439-247-227
thudson@minderoo.com.au

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