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This event will be held in a hybrid format. Please select you preferred ticket type when registering: in-person or online. 

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You are warmly invited to join us for an exclusive gathering of thought leaders, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers committed to confronting forced labour and exploitation in the UK and beyond.

This conference is part of the strategic partnership between the British Standards Institution and King’s Business School, aimed at accelerating the impact of BS 25700 and fostering more ethical practices across supply chains.

Drawing on a series of Learning Labs with selected partners, the event is grounded in practice-led insights that inform a forward-looking agenda.

We meet at a pivotal juncture: with the UK Government’s renewed focus on victim-centred policy, the establishment of the Fair Work Agency, and global shifts such as the EU’s Forced Labour Regulation and innovative cross-sector collaborations, the landscape is evolving rapidly.

With more than 50 million people still trapped in modern slavery worldwide, this conference invites bold conversations about regulation, the transformative power of standards, and the challenges practitioners face when establishing the business case for respecting human rights.

Through real-world case studies and hands-on workshops, the event will showcase practical solutions aligned with BS 25700’s guidance—providing attendees with the tools to embed resilience and responsibility into their organisations.

Join us in shaping collaborative responses that drive ethical transformation across sectors.

 

The event will feature keynote speaker Kevin Hyland OBE, the UK’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, alongside senior representatives from the Modern Slavery Unit, leading NGOs, and industry experts.

 

Download the event agenda

 

09:00 - 09:30Arrival, Coffee & Networking
09:30 - 09:45Welcome and Introductions
09:45 - 10:00Setting the Context: BSI and KBS Partnership
10:00 – 11:00

Plenary Panel 1: The Evolving Regulatory Landscape and the Role of Standards

Speakers:

  • Professor Alexander Trautrims – University of Nottingham, Rights Lab
  • Dr Sofia Gonzalez de Aguinaga – Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law
  • Fareed Amir – Modern Slavery Unit, Home Office

 

  • Chair: David Fastcher Interim Head of Standards, BSI (Sustainability & ESG)
11:00 - 11:15 Comfort break
11:15 - 12:15

Plenary Panel 2: Do We Need a Business Case to Tackle Modern Slavery?

Why is the business case so difficult to establish?

Speakers:

  • Sarah Woodcock – The Anti-Slavery Collective
  • Chantelle Mayo – Slave-Free Alliance
  • Professor Laura Spence – King’s Business School

 

  • Chair: Dr Gabriela Gutierrez Huerter O – King’s Business School
 12:15–13:00   

Keynote Presentation: Ten Years of the Modern Slavery Act: What We Know, What We Must Do

  • Kevin Hyland OBE – Former UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
 14:00–15:00 

Breakout Panel Sessions

Panel 1: What is Due Diligence? How Does It Look in Practice and tools to support it

  • Colleen Theron – Ardea International

  • Emma-Jane Allen – Supply Chain Sustainability School

Panel 2: The Importance of Worker Voice in Employment Relations

  • Dr Safak Tartanoglu Bennett – University of Sheffield

  • Mal Ullah – Cava Security

Panel 3: Identifying Modern Slavery Risk In and Beyond Supply Chains

  • Dr Amy Benstead – University of Manchester

  • National Grid

 15:00 - 15:15 Comfort break
 15:15 - 16:15

Plenary Panel 3: The Bigger Picture – Connecting Modern Slavery to Other Human Rights

 
Speakers:

  • Dr Maeve Ryan – King’s College London

  • Dr Akilah Jardine – Orbis Procurement (Surrey County Council, East Sussex County Council, and Brighton & Hove City Council)

  • Andrew W. Mitchell – Task Force on Nature related Financial Disclosures and UNEP

 16:15Close and next steps 

At this event

Gabriela  Gutierrez-Huerter O

Senior Lecturer in International Management

Event details

Council Room
Strand Campus
Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

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