Dame Sara and the Liechtenstein Initiative for Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking co-organise a roundtable discussion on managing modern slavery risks in capital markets

On 29 April 2021 the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Dame Sara Thornton, and the Liechtenstein Initiative for Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking co-organised a roundtable discussion on managing modern slavery risks in capital markets.

The event explored developments in capital market expectations and regulation, drawing on the Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST) Blueprint, and recent research into the role of investors, asset managers, and capital markets. 50 senior participants from City of London asset owners, asset managers, funds and capital markets stakeholders, as well as government and other key stakeholders attended the roundtable.

Formal contributions were provided by CCLA, Walk Free, EOS at Federated Hermes, and Refinitiv - an LSEG business. Participants then discussed the financial sector’s role as an important lever, the need to incentivise corporate entities to take action, and the need for data metrics and tools.

The roundtable discussion report can be accessed here.

The FAST Mobilizing Finance against Slavery and Trafficking – the Roles of Capital Markets presentation sides can be found here.

Dame Sara Thornton, Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, said:

“It is important to bring modern slavery from the margins into the mainstream. Given the data presented during the discussion, corporate entities should not be frightened to find modern slavery, rather thought needs to be given to how the most vulnerable workers across the globe can be protected.”