Mint spearheads letter to the Government addressing Modern Slavery Legislation

By Rachel Tinkler, Head of Responsible Investment

Modern slavery refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power.¹ It’s a hidden crime that covers forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, slavery and slavery-like practices, and human trafficking. Conservative estimates show that 8,000 people live in these conditions in New Zealand.²

Walk Free, an international human rights NGO focused on the eradication of modern slavery in all its forms, visited New Zealand recently to continue conversations with the government on the importance of a robust piece of legislation on this topic. Mint had the pleasure of meeting with Walk Free’s Co-Founder, Grace Forrest, to discuss how investors can continue to assist with this crucial work. Mint has agreed to continue to lobby the government on modern slavery legislation. In our discussions with Grace, we also agreed on the importance of continuing to outline our expectation that our investee companies carry out due diligence assessments of their own, despite the absence of a law so far.

Unlike many Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, including key trading partners, New Zealand does not have modern slavery legislation. While establishing legislation is part of the challenge, ensuring it is fit for purpose is of equal importance. There are many aspects to suitable legislation, but one key piece is the inclusion of a due diligence requirement.