Startup Using Technology To Help Identify The 16 Million Private Sector Slaves In Supply Chains Secures Funding
LONDON (PRWEB) June 20, 2018 -- Today, there are more than 40 million people in modern slavery around the world, 16 million of whom are exploited in the private sector. Slavery is an incredibly lucrative business, generating estimated profits of $150 billion pa. Governments increasingly recongnise that, if this abhorrent trade is to be ended, companies must proactively search for slavery in their supply chains and are introducing new laws to this effect. The UK Modern Slavery Act, for instance, requires approximately 20,000 companies to annually report on slavery in their supply chains.
Modern supply chains are constantly changing networks which may include tens of thousands of suppliers. Identifying and addressing slavery in these circumstances is incredibly hard. RightsDD uses technology to help companies meet their obligations. The startup has attracted the support of key players in the modern anti-slavery movement.
“At the moment, most companies don’t know where to start when it comes to modern slavery. RightsDD is that point of departure. Our tool helps companies gather and analyse information from employees, suppliers and third parties. Using RightDD, companies can determine where in their supply chains the highest risks of slavery are,” said RightsDD Founder, Oliver Cushing.
“By using technology to expand data collection, RightsDD is making it possible for a greater number of companies to conduct high-quality due diligence in their supply chains to uncover potential human rights abuses,” said Sandy Tesch-Wilkins, Senior Manager at Humanity United. “We are pleased to support RightsDD to strengthen and scale their innovative tools and approach.”
“Hogan Lovells believes that slavery has no place in the world. Our International Business and Human Rights Group works with clients to identify and address slavery and other human rights impacts in their operations and supply chains. We believe there is a great need for scalable, affordable and easy to use due diligence solutions such as RightsDD,” said Peter Hood, Consultant, Hogan Lovells Business and Human Rights Group.
About RightsDD
RightsDD is an early stage startup using technology to empower companies to respect human rights. RightsDD was founded by Oliver Cushing, who first came to understand the critical relationship between business and human rights when working on mining projects in Africa and Latin America. For more information see http://www.rightsdd.com.
About Humanity United
Humanity United is a foundation dedicated to bringing new approaches to global problems that have long been considered intractable. We build, lead, and support efforts to change the systems that contribute to problems like human trafficking, mass atrocities, and violent conflict. HU is part of The Omidyar Group, a diverse collection of organizations, each guided by its own approach, but united by a common desire to catalyze social impact. For more information see http://www.humanityunited.org.
About Hogan Lovells
Hogan Lovells is a leading global law firm providing business-oriented legal advice and high-quality service across its exceptional breadth of practices to clients around the world. For more information, see http://www.hoganlovells.com.
HL BaSE is Hogan Lovells social impact practice, supporting social enterprises and mission-led businesses to develop their impact. More information about HL BaSE can be found on the website, http://www.hoganlovellsbase.com.
Oliver Cushing, RightsDD, https://www.rightsdd.com/, +44 7756768497, [email protected]
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