Slavery and human trafficking statement 2023 to 2024

2. Executive Summary

The Scottish Government’s Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement outlines our approach to addressing the risks of exploitation within our own operations and supply chains. This document reaffirms our commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement, and sets out our actions to respect and protect human rights and prevent human trafficking and exploitation within our own systems. This is Scotland’s Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement for the year 2023-2024 and is structured around recently updated Home Office guidance on section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act^[1]. This statement demonstrates our continued commitment to supply chain transparency, ethical procurement, and the protection of human rights.

Organisational structure, its business and its supply chains

This Statement outlines the scope of our operations and supply chains. We describe/summarise our method for mapping supply chains, identifying risk areas, and ensuring transparency. Our policies are guided by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, embedding ethical procurement, fair work, and human rights due diligence throughout our processes.

Organisational policies and Risk Management

We integrate Fair Work First criteria in public sector grants and procurement, ensuring our grant recipients and suppliers pay the real Living Wage, provide appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice, and maintain high ethical standards. Our processes for assessing and managing risk include the use of the National Sustainability Test and best practice procurement guidance, allowing us to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks.

Due diligence in relation to modern slavery

The Scottish Government is committed to the UN Guiding principles on Business and Human Rights. The principles make clear that businesses have a responsibility to ensure their activities do not have adverse impacts on human rights.

Due diligence is at the core of our approach, with clear expectations for suppliers to comply with human rights standards and maintain procedures for addressing any instances of trafficking or exploitation. Our procurement processes align with procurement policy and legislation and are underpinned by clauses to ensure fair work, ethical sourcing and anti-trafficking standards.

Training

Training is a critical component of our approach to ethical procurement and supply chain transparency. We provide targeted training on Human Trafficking and Exploitation to staff, suppliers, and partners, in order to assist them to identify and respond to potential trafficking and exploitation, with specialised training for procurement professionals and frontline staff. We also maintain a commitment to continuous improvement, regularly reviewing and updating our policies and practices to align with best practice, stakeholder feedback, and reflecting the evolving understanding of trafficking and exploitation.

While this Statement highlights the Scottish Government’s focus on preventing trafficking and exploitation within our own operations and supply chains, it also connects to our broader commitment to human rights, justice, and ethical governance across Scotland.