The Global Compact Network Australia (GCNA) welcomed the opportunity to make a submission in relation to the Department of Home Affairs’ Draft Guidance for Reporting Entities who are subject to the Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act.

The GCNA was pleased to be a member of the multi-stakeholder advisory group supporting completion of the Draft Guidance and would like to recognise the Department’s significant efforts in ensuring a variety of stakeholder voices contributed to its contents.

The GCNA is supportive of measures aimed at improving the understanding of the Act’s reporting requirement, and mechanisms that will enable business to effectively report. We also commend the Department for including guidance on how to prevent and address modern slavery in practice as many companies will be looking at these issues for the first time as they prepare their first statements under the Act. We note that this submission has been informed by engagement with GCNA members and various stakeholders, however it represents the GCNA’s views and not the views of any particular GCNA member or members.