267 – The Intersection of Business and Human Rights, with John Cotton Richmond

Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Ambassador John Cotton Richmond to discuss the intersection of business and human rights. Together they look at how the conversations in board rooms is shifting to discussions on their supply chains, exploitation, and other impacts that their business has on the communities around them.

John Cotton Richmond

Ambassador Richmond is an attorney and diplomat focused on ethical business, human rights, democracy, and rule of law. He served in the country’s highest position dedicated to combating human trafficking as a U.S. Ambassador where he led U.S. foreign policy in the global fight for freedom. As a Partner at Dentons, Ambassador Richmond helps companies keep their supply chains and workforces free of human trafficking. He was named one of the federal “Prosecutors of the Year,” after a decade successfully trying complex police misconduct, cross-burning, neo-Nazi hate crimes, forced labor, and sex trafficking cases across the country. Ambassador Richmond is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, frequent expert for the United Nations, and frequent speaker on justice, freedom, leadership, faith, and vocation.

Key Points

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) - corporations paying more attention to how their supply chain affects people

Disclosure requirements and public awareness is shifting the conversation in corporate boardrooms to look more closely at their sourcing.

Business can address global poverty because a well run business that pays fair wages leads to economic prosperity for families and communities.

Addressing poverty as we emerge from the pandemic:

investing in surrounding communities that were most damaged

improving the rule of law

developing programs that provide tailored services for survivors

Consumers play a part through how we vote with our wallet and putting pressure on companies for ethical sourcing.

Resources

California Transparency in Supply Chains Act

Modern Slavery Act

Ep. 266 - Rescuing Boys Labor Trafficked in the Fishing Industry with Chris Field

John Cotton Richmond's website

ILAB - 2020 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor

Ep. 262 - Human-Centered Design with Shauntina Sorrells

Ensure Justice Conference - March 4-5 , 2022

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Transcript

Dave [00:00:00] You're listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast, this is episode number 267, The Intersection of Business and Human Rights with John Cotton Richmond.

Production Credits [00:00:10] Produced by Innovate Learning, maximizing human potential.

Dave [00:00:31] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. My name is Dave Stachowiak.

Sandie [00:00:36] And my name is Sandie Morgan.

Dave [00:00:38] And this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Sandie, today we have with us not only an expert, but a dear friend in the work that we've been doing to end human trafficking. I'm so glad to welcome John Cotton Richmond back to the show. His career has taken him to the front lines in the global battle against human trafficking as a partner at Denton's, the world's largest law firm. He focuses on the intersection between business and human rights. John advises companies on how to keep their supply chains free of forced labor and their workforces free of s...