Action Against Hunger UK believes that forced or compulsory labour, human trafficking and other kinds of slavery represent some of the gravest forms of human rights abuses in society.
As an organisation, we find our work often takes place in environments where people might be considered at their most vulnerable due to poverty, conflict, displacement and an inability to access basic human rights. These environments can augment the possibility of human rights abuses as defined by the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
This statement sets out the steps that Action Against Hunger UK has taken during the financial year
ending 31 December 2022 to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any of our
supply chains or in any part of our business.
Our organisational structure
Action Against Hunger UK is a registered charitable company limited by guarantee managed by our board of trustees. We operate as part of the Action Against Hunger international network which is made up of seven independent organisations (in the UK, France, Spain, USA, India, Canada and Germany) and their branches and subsidiaries. We work together as a network under a shared vision, mission and Charter of Principles along with several international policies and procedures which have been agreed
at a global level.
Action Against Hunger UK’s international programmes are managed and delivered by our network partners in France, Spain, USA and India and their branches and subsidiaries. We are responsible for signing funding agreements with a range of donors and providing support to our network partners in their delivery of the programmes under separate sub-grant agreements. Since 2020, we have also worked with some local partners in the UK to support programmes across England.
Our supply chains and due diligence
Action Against Hunger UK uses suppliers across our activities to enable us to deliver our charitable objectives. Contractors and suppliers must not engage in any forms of modern slavery or human trafficking and must not knowingly contract with third parties that do. We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and will terminate business relationships with any contractor or supplier found to be in breach of these obligations.
We carry out due diligence in relation to organisations that deliver our programmes and include specific requirements in our agreements with network partners that they, and any downstream partners they work with for the delivery of the programme, will comply with applicable anti-slavery and human trafficking laws, statues, regulations and codes and with the Action Against Hunger UK Modern Slavery Policy.
Our policies and training
Action Against Hunger UK welcomed the introduction of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 and has since adopted and rolled out our UK Modern Slavery Policy which sets out the basis of our working practices in relation to issues of slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced or compulsory labour.
In 2021, the Action Against Hunger International Network approved its first International Safeguarding Policy, covering all Action Against Hunger offices worldwide. This sets out Action Against Hunger’s commitment to protect all persons we come into contact with through our work. The policy applies to all forms of organised abuses of power, including forced labour, modern slavery and trafficking in persons. The Action Against Hunger International Network condemns these forms of exploitation and applies its zero tolerance policy towards all forms of harm and abuse to its staff, associated personnel, partners and suppliers. These principles are also embedded within the Action Against Hunger International Code of Conduct and compliance guidelines.
In 2022, the Action Against Hunger International Network undertook a project to develop an additional International Policy on Counter Trafficking and Modern Slavery to be included as an annex to the International Safeguarding Policy. This sets out further details and information about our globally agreed processes for countering modern slavery and human trafficking across our activities and programmes.
This project has been widely supported across the network and the Policy is due to be approved in 2023. In addition to our policies, Action Against Hunger UK staff are required to carry out mandatory training in relation to safeguarding, anti-trafficking and modern slavery and protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment as part of their induction to the organisation and on a regular basis thereafter.
Our commitment
Action Against Hunger UK is committed to continuing our work to review and monitor our policies, procedures, agreements and training relating to modern slavery and human trafficking and we will continue to do everything we can to prevent, report and raise awareness about this in our work.
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2022.