Modern Slavery

What is Modern Slavery?

Modern Slavery is the exploitation of individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for various purposes, including forced labour, human trafficking, debt bondage, forced marriage, slavery, deceptive recruitment practices, and the worst forms of child labour. It is a severe violation of human rights and a significant global issue affecting millions of people.

It is estimated that 50 million people are affected by Modern Slavery globally, with industries such as agriculture, fashion, construction and technology, as some of the worst offenders, with supply chains that are heavily embroiled in slavery and forced labour.

Our Commitment

As a leading educational institution deeply embedded in the Greater Western Sydney region, and with international campuses, we recognise and respect the dignity, wellbeing and human rights of the diverse group of students, employees, workers in our supply chains, and the communities within which the University operates, or sources products and services.

Our efforts to combat Modern Slavery are based on the fundamental principle of respect for the dignity of every human life. We are committed to improving the well-being and security of all individuals and have zero tolerance for practices and standards that compromise or exploit the basic human rights of integrity, safety and advancement.

What is Western Sydney University doing?

Western Sydney University’s Decadal Strategy, Sustainability and Resilience 2030, was developed to support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations and recognises our contribution and impact in a wider global context. The initiatives and actions we implement to continually identify, assess and address risks of modern slavery in our operations and supply chains are based on our guiding principles, and reflect our commitment to supporting the UN’s SDGs, specifically SDG 8.7 which calls for the end of trafficking and modern slavery.

Our 2023 Modern Slavery Statement outlines the University’s continued actions to mitigate modern slavery risks across both our operations and supply chains. We are building on our strong foundation of policies and frameworks by embedding meaningful practices that identify, assess, and address risk, while also strengthening awareness and capability across the University community.

Key initiatives include:

• Development of an interactive modern slavery e-learning module for relevant staff and all students.
• Development of a draft Social Procurement Charter which reinforces our commitment to ethical sourcing and will strengthen efforts to identify and address modern slavery risks across our supply chains.
• Engaging with our international student community to better understand potential risk exposures, including participation in the 2024 National Temporary Migrant Survey.
• Providing ongoing pro bono legal services to victim-survivors of modern slavery through Western’s Justice Clinic, which also released a practical guide to supporting individuals affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, and modern slavery in New South Wales.
• Commencing the development of Western’s first Human Rights Policy and implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) at Western.

Anti-Slavery Roadmap

Our Anti-Slavery roadmap was established with a focus on prioritising continual improvement and risk management. We believe that the actions imbedded in this roadmap will enable us to steadily improve transparency within our operations and supply chain.

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Western's Anti-Slavery Working Group

The University established the Anti-Slavery Working Group in 2023, connecting key stakeholders from across the University with the primary focus and duty of informing and guiding the University’s Senior Executive Leadership Team on Modern Slavery issues, and the University’s responsibilities in addressing and mitigating risks of Modern Slavery.

What do I do if I am made aware of any instances of Modern Slavery?

If you would like more information on Western's Anti-Slavery Working Group, or the University's approach to addressing Modern Slavery more broadly, please send your enquiry to:
anti-slavery@westernsydney.edu.au