Post By: Adam Turteltaub

Tying human rights to compliance programs may sound like a new idea, but as Michele Crymes of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) explains in this podcast, it has a surprisingly long history. Wage and hour laws were and are human rights issues.  Rules about conflict minerals have roots in human rights as well, and more enforcement is likely coming.

According to Michele, organizations should think of human rights less as a new area of compliance and more as an extension of existing efforts and with more nuance. Modern slavery and human trafficking, for example, has broadened its existing scope into examining many types of behavior including wage theft and the treatment of migrant labor.

Listen in as she explains the current legal framework and what is expected to come next, including protection for women and children. And, as is so often the case, she shares the need to pay close attention to your supply chain.