Addressing Modern Slavery

Title: "Addressing Modern Slavery" by Justine Nolan and Martijn Boersma

Publication Details:

• Publisher: UNSW Press
• Publication Date: September 2019
• Pages: 262 pp.
• ISBN: Not specified in the sources

Key Themes:

1. Complexity of Modern Slavery: The book delves into the complexities that perpetuate slavery in contemporary contexts, highlighting how global supply chains can both link to and generate conditions for modern slavery in industries like agriculture, manufacturing, and mining[1].
2. Global Supply Chains: It emphasizes that modern slavery is often embedded in global supply chains, which can make it difficult to track and address. The authors argue that these chains frequently create preconditions for modern slavery to flourish[1].
3. Government Complicity: The book also discusses how governments can be complicit in promoting and benefiting from slave labor, further complicating efforts to combat modern slavery[1].
4. Lack of Standard Definition: The authors critique the lack of a standard definition for modern slavery, which limits the effectiveness of measures to address the problem. This ambiguity questions the scale and scope of available data[1].
5. Systematic and Structural Abuse: The book acknowledges modern slavery as a range of systematic and structural abusive practices that negate the agency of victims to demand and access rights[1].

Plot Summary: The book provides a comprehensive analysis of modern slavery, focusing on its pervasive nature in global supply chains. It explores how various industries contribute to the problem and how governments and companies can be complicit. The authors highlight the challenges in defining and measuring modern slavery due to the lack of a standard definition. The book serves as a resource for policymakers and scholars seeking to understand and address the issue holistically.

Critical Reception:

• Positive Reception: The book has been praised for its insightful analysis of the complexities surrounding modern slavery. It is seen as a valuable resource for policymakers and scholars in the field of business and human rights[1][5].
• Book Reviews: Various reviews have noted the book's comprehensive approach, exposing the flaws in global supply chains and the need for a more standardized definition of modern slavery. The authors' expertise in their respective fields adds depth to the discussion[2][4][5].

Authors' Background:

• Justine Nolan: Director of the Australian Human Rights Institute and Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice at UNSW Sydney. Her research focuses on supply chain responsibility for human rights and modern slavery[5].
• Martijn Boersma: Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame Australia and Adjunct Fellow at the University of Technology Business School. His research includes labor standards in supply chains, corporate governance, and modern slavery[5].

Overall, "Addressing Modern Slavery" by Justine Nolan and Martijn Boersma offers a detailed examination of the multifaceted issue of modern slavery, highlighting its embeddedness in global supply chains and the need for a more cohesive approach to addressing it.