Late last year, BSI launched the world’s first national standard BS25700 to help organisations in Northern Ireland and across the UK to eradicate modern slavery.
- The standard was developed by a BSI technical committee of experts that brought together experts in this policy area. This standard aims to educate, guide and encourage organisations in the management of modern slavery risks to close the gap between policy and practice. Only by doing so can organisations make meaningful strides in addressing this problem. Additionally, amidst the wide pool of existing non-legal initiatives that aim to advance corporate responsibility and accountability for modern slavery, BS 25700 provides a standardised approach that is applicable and useful for all organisations.
- This standard was developed to support organizational responses to modern slavery. The standard can be used by organisations of all types, sizes and activities in Northern Ireland and is aimed at key personnel essential to the management of modern slavery risks. This includes leadership and governing bodies and those carrying out a range of functions such as operations, procurement, legal and compliance, human resources, occupational health and safety, ethics and sustainability.
- In a pioneering move, the new standard is available to businesses and all organisations in Northern Ireland and beyond on a free open-access basis as a demonstration of BSI’s commitment to seeing modern slavery abolished. It is downloadable for free here.